Chapter 745: I will certainly have her buried with you

"How could that be?" Tuan Tuan slipped from his embrace, fell to the ground, and looked down beneath the throne.

Below there was no Xiao Lin, only a piece of charred wood that looked like an extinguished torch.

Tuan Tuan stretched out her little hand, strained to reach, and her fingertips touched the wood.

Huh? Why is it soft?

Her eyes lit up: "Imperial Uncle! This is Shiyi!"

"What did you say?" Xiao Jieyun startled, hastily squatted down, and reached out to pull that piece of wood out.

The moment he gripped it tightly, the sensation in his palm made his whole body stiffen.

That piece of charred wood trembled slightly in his hand, soft and warm.

The next moment.

The air around the charred wood rippled like water.

Immediately after, a pale little face and a curled-up small body appeared.

It was Xiao Lin!

Xiao Jieyun scooped him up from the ground in one motion, held him tightly in his arms, both hands trembling slightly.

The emperor who never changed his expression before ten thousand troops, now holding his lost-and-found son, was greatly shaken in his heart and could not utter a word.

Tuan Tuan hurried to comfort him: "Imperial Uncle, you don't need to worry!"

"Master said, this fake-death medicine will be fine after twelve hours."

"At this time tomorrow, Shiyi will be lively and jumping again!"

Xiao Jieyun lowered his head to glance at his son in his arms, then lifted his eyes to Tuan Tuan, his voice hoarse: "Tuan Tuan, when Shiyi was sitting here, were you right beside him?"

Tuan Tuan laughed, raised her hand to point at the cloth tiger he had placed on the ground: "Exactly! I was inside the cloth tiger!"

Xiao Jieyun stared blankly at that utterly ordinary cloth tiger: "Here, in this?"

"Exactly!" Tuan Tuan nodded.

Xiao Jieyun picked up the cloth tiger and placed it in Xiao Lin's arms.

"Tuan Tuan," he said softly, "without you, Shiyi would hardly escape this calamity; I, the emperor, thank you."

Tuan Tuan looked utterly natural: "Shiyi is my good friend, of course I have to help him!"

Xiao Jieyun held Xiao Lin, stood up, gently placed him on the throne, then put the cloth tiger under his head as a pillow.

He turned, bent down to lift Tuan Tuan, and together they looked toward the outside of the city.

The setting sun was like blood.

Outside the city at this moment it was empty; the great army had already surged in full force into Jingcheng.

He turned again, looked toward the inner city, and the sunset dyed the entire Jingcheng a shade of gold-red.

"Tuan Tuan," the Emperor's voice slightly choked, "I, on behalf of the city's populace and the soldiers who can return home for reunion, thank you."

Tuan Tuan wrapped her arms around his neck, her little face pressed into his neck hollow: "Imperial Uncle, you're home now!"

Xiao Jieyun raised his hand, gently patted her small back, and smiled: "Yes, I have returned."

Tuan Tuan nodded, two shallow dimples appearing on her little face: "I can go home too!"

In Jingcheng, in an utterly ordinary small courtyard.

Two servants rushed into the room, panting: "Prince Ning's army has already entered the capital! They are now sweeping up rebel forces everywhere!"

"Yes, and they ordered the civilians not to go out first, to avoid accidental injury!"

"We hid at the alley entrance and watched for a good while; there were so many soldiers on the street, everywhere!"

Liu Guiyan, face ashen, glanced at Cheng Jing lying on the bed, waved a hand: "I understand. You may go, do what you need to do, don't panic."

"Yes." The two servants retreated, pulling the door shut behind them.

"Cheng Lang," Liu Guiyan said softly, "once the pacification notice is issued and the city gates open, we'll leave."

Cheng Jing slowly opened his eyes, remained silent for a long while, then sighed: "Fine, there's nothing else we can do."

He sat up, reaching for the outer robe at the bedside.

Liu Guiyan hurriedly brought it over, draped it on him, then crouched to put on his boots, and helped him sit at the table.

Not long after, the servants brought in the evening meal.

The two sat facing each other, neither speaking.

Liu Guiyan forced a smile, added another piece of chicken to Cheng Jing's bowl: "This is your favorite, eat a few more bites."

Cheng Jing nodded, picked it up, and put it in his mouth.

The two ate in silence; only the occasional light tap of chopsticks against the bowl could be heard in the room.

Suddenly, a flurry of hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

A servant came running in, tumbling: "Mo, Divine Doctor Mo is missing!"

Liu Guiyan sprang to her feet; the stool behind her clattered to the ground.

The chopsticks in Cheng Jing's hand fell onto the table, rolled twice, and dropped to the floor.

Liu Guiyan supported him as they left the room and arrived at the house where Mo Zhanggeng lived.

The servants had already turned over the person lying on the bed: "I, I had just come in to deliver food, called several times with no response, so I just took a glance."

Liu Guiyan stepped back two steps, her lower back hitting the edge of the table.

The servant knelt on the ground, voice trembling: "No one has come by today!"

"The great army is assaulting the city; everyone has hidden away, and no one has gone out! How could the Divine Doctor just disappear..."

Cheng Jing slowly turned, step by step, and walked out of Mo Zhanggeng's room.

Liu Guiyan came to her senses, hurriedly followed, and firmly grasped his arm.

The two returned to the room.

Cheng Jing sat down at the edge of the table, raised his hand and pressed his temples, his fingertips trembling slightly.

Afterwards, he picked up the chopsticks that had fallen on the floor and laid them across the bowl.

"Guiyan, I'm not leaving."

Liu Guiyan trembled all over, tears welling up in her eyes, she stared at him blankly: "You, have you decided? Are you really going to do this?"

Cheng Jing gave a slight nod: "Guiyan, the secret medicine is gone, Mo Zhanggeng has also fled, I won't live much longer."

Liu Guiyan's tears poured forth: "No! Cheng Lang! Come with me, I will surely be able to cure you!"

Cheng Jing gazed gently at his wife: "Guiyan, everyone must die."

Liu Guiyan closed her eyes, letting tears slide continuously down her cheeks.

Cheng Jing drew near her, pulling her into his embrace: "But I can't go on living, so naturally I won't let our enemies have it easy."

Liu Guiyan's body stiffened, she suddenly opened her eyes: "You're right!"

"That Princess Jiayou! All of this is her fault! I will certainly make her accompany you in death!"