Chapter 43: Seamless (2)

After a while, she turned her head and said to Mo Heng, who had been standing in the dark, "Pass the order to the Mu State branch, let them find a suitable opportunity to find another quieter place for that Young Master Han Hui."

"Yes." Mo Heng said, "Should we continue to monitor Wei Yuan?"

"No need." Zi Rao said, "Just pay attention to Crown Prince Yu's movements. If he and Wei Yuan have too close contact, report it to me immediately." As she said this, she turned gracefully, her sleeves fluttering, and the golden-silk jade silk slipped into the deep, cold lake water without a sound, sinking into the heart of the waves in an instant, without even leaving a ripple.

The lamp in the manor was still on. Zi Rao walked into the inner room along the empty corridor. The dragging skirt brushed past the silence, like a dark fragrance floating in the deep night. The crystal curtain sprinkled shadows, separating Zi Hao who was sitting alone at the desk. She didn't rush to enter, raised her hand to gather a string of ice jade, and looked at him through the curtain. He didn't speak for the time being. It was not until the last word was written that he asked, "Is he gone?"

"Hmm." Zi Rao responded casually, still staring at the traces of his deep eyes through the lamp light. After a while, she called his name softly, "Zi Hao."

Zi Hao looked up at her and asked with his eyes. Her brows had a cold, moon-like melancholy, but her voice was more gentle than usual, "A mere Wei Yuan, with your means, you can easily make him listen to you, but you have to make him uneasy, and then let me come to win him over and appease him, which is unnecessary."

Zi Hao smiled, saying faintly, "I was a bit tired today and didn't want to talk much. It would be better for you to go than me."

Zi Rao frowned slightly, moved the crystal curtain, and walked to the desk, exploring the deep traces in his eyes inch by inch through the bright light, "Don't fool me. What you think in your heart, you can hide from others, but you can't hide from me."

Zi Hao looked at her peacefully, and smiled quietly again, "Since you know, why ask?"

Zi Rao wanted to refute him, but opened her mouth and couldn't speak. The lamp flower in the crystal cup jumped slightly, reflecting the faint brilliance of the bead string on her wrist, and she suddenly remembered that he had been like this for many years. From Shang Rong to Su Ling, from Shi Niang to Nie Qi, from Mo Heng to Li Si, bit by bit of painstaking management, life-betting gambling, secretly accumulating the power of the Mingyi Tower. The temple died, the Jianghu lived, and the royal power on the verge of destruction was grafted, intertwined and infiltrated into all countries, forming a latent dark current to control the world, so that there could be a calm situation today.

Carrying the responsibility heavier than life, he walked on the sharp edge of the blood blade, exhausting all his efforts to plan, and now the only token that could command the seven palaces and twenty-eight branches of the Mingyi Tower was the small bead string she had worn since she was a child.

Mingyi Tower, that was his gift for her coming-of-age ceremony.

That day, they brushed past each other, and his calm whisper floated past her ears, which was the flame that would never be extinguished in her heart, supporting her through the erosion of loneliness and darkness day and night under the Xuan Tower.

Zi Rao, even if the world is destroyed, I will protect you for a lifetime of peace.

There is no need to ask again. He treated Wei Yuan with a cold face, making it the solid foundation for her to control this powerful minister, letting her step by step toward the majestic Heavenly Palace in the clouds. The Nine Heavens were extremely high and cold, just like the depths of the Xuan Tower. The magnificent buildings were all shrouded in brilliant heavenly light, but it was a desolate wasteland of deathly silence.

Zi Rao had such a dream, looking for his figure in a day of gorgeous void, seeing his smile, but unable to touch his warmth. At this moment, the moonlight fell on his collar, clear and dreamlike. Zi Rao felt a shock in her heart, and her fingertips suddenly gripped the desk, almost breaking the beautiful cinnabar nails. Suddenly, she felt a slight pain in her forehead, and he raised his hand to flick it lightly, "Silly girl, don't let your imagination run wild. You are still far from letting me rest assured and let go."

His smile was clear and carried a rare trace of teasing. Zi Rao first felt stunned, then suddenly raised her eyes to look at his pitch-black eyes, her voice trembling slightly due to suppression, "I hate you the most like this, calculating everything in your heart, hiding everything in your heart."

She refused his calm smile with the cold anger between her brows. He was neither in a hurry nor annoyed. For a moment, he lowered his head and coughed lightly, and finally followed her, saying in a low voice, "If you have anything you want to ask, I will answer."

Zi Rao glanced at him from the corner of her eye, but no matter how angry she was, she couldn't persist under his gaze that could see through people's hearts. There was nothing she wanted to ask. Even if he didn't say anything, he had never hidden anything from her.

Because she knew too clearly, there was no room for willfulness. Wasn't the responsibility on his shoulders the same fate she couldn't escape? Lowering her head and closing her eyebrows, she finally folded her quiet gaze and said softly, "Since you have chosen the Chu State, why do you have to spend so much effort on the Mu State?"

Zi Hao lowered his eyes and was silent. After a while, he smiled and looked at her, "I often hear you mention Ye Xuanshang intentionally or unintentionally these days."

Zi Rao said, "He helped me in Wangliang Valley. Later, because Huang Fei targeted him, I once used your private seal to send a letter to Wei Yuan to ask him to retreat for the time being. You know all of this."

Zi Hao smiled and asked, "How does he compare to Huang Fei?"

Zi Rao said strangely, "Shao Yuan Jun has a natural heroic posture and holds great power in the Chu State. Every move can influence the general trend of the Nine Domains. Ye Third Young Master is a hostage of another country, with murderous intent all around him and a dangerous situation. According to the news Wei Yuan revealed tonight, he is afraid that he will have bigger trouble in the Chu State. Don't you know?"

Zi Hao closed his eyes slightly and shook his head, "I mean Ye Xuanshang compared to Huang Fei."

Zi Rao turned her head to ponder, comparing the two men in her heart, but couldn't tell who was better. She just thought he wanted to understand both of them to make a decision, so she told him in detail, "Huang Fei looks elegant and unrestrained, but he is arrogant and aggressive from time to time. Ye Third Young Master is unrestrained by nature, but actually meticulous. If we talk about martial arts, the Zhuri and Guili swords are on par, and I think it is difficult to distinguish the winner. If we talk about strategy, one uses soldiers with a smile and is a natural talent, and the other has extraordinary means and demeanor. In the future, I am afraid that neither of them will be a thing in the pool. You say who is better?"

Zi Hao's eyes were calm, and he didn't make a sound, nor could he see what he was thinking, but he saw her raise her eyes under the clear and hazy lamp light, smiling charmingly, and picking up the silver spoon to pick the crystal lamp wick. The fire light flickered, revealing scattered clear light, falling into her palm, crystal clear. The lamp light gradually brightened, reflecting the clear light in her eyes, "If you ask me, it's nothing more than that, not enough to be better than the top, but more than the bottom." She smiled carelessly, her lips containing tenderness.

Zi Hao's eyes were quiet, and he didn't make a sound. Zi Rao looked at him, tasted his expression, and then leaned lazily to pick the crystal lamp wick. The fire light flickered, reflecting the clear light in her eyes, "If you ask me, it's nothing more than that, not enough to be better than the top, but more than the bottom." She smiled carelessly, her lips containing tenderness.

Zi Hao's eyes were quiet, and he didn't make a

His brows twitched inadvertently, and he remained silent. Zi Rao looked at him with a smile. "Are you not going to ask who it is?"

He shook his head slightly, smiling with a faint, helpless indulgence. Zi Rao rested her chin on her hand and suddenly turned her eyes to ask him, "My birthday is in a few days. You haven't spent a birthday with me in seven years; how will you compensate me?"

The lamplight rippled slightly. Zi Hao seemed to see the little girl who had suddenly crashed into his cold, lonely world in the green bamboo forest many years ago. Seven years had passed in a flash; it turned out he had already missed seven years of her joys and sorrows. More than two thousand days and nights were gone forever and hard to chase back; what could be used to compensate? His emotions, usually still as stagnant water, welled up with unspeakable regret at this moment. He replied softly, "Whatever you say, it shall be."

"Anything at all?" Her long eyelashes blinked nimbly.

He nodded faintly.

"What if it is a very difficult thing?"

Zi Hao blinked and smiled. "Tell me."

She sought his warmth, leaning against his side, her voice low and soft as if talking to herself. "I never told you that on my ninth birthday, I once made a wish before the Ce Tian Hall in the Royal City. I wanted to do one thing, but for so many years, I have never been able to. Later, I was locked in the Xuan Tower by that woman. Once, I don't know how, I became very ill. The bottom of the tower was dark and black, without even a glimmer of light, and it was so cold that it felt like even my heartbeat was about to freeze. I thought I was going to die, but in my hazy state, I kept thinking of that thing, only feeling that if I couldn't do it, I would not be content even in death." She reached out to tug at his lapels, with a touch of weak helplessness like a child, her eyes filled with a plea he had never seen before, repeating, "I really would not be content even in death. But I know it is a very, very difficult thing. Zi Hao, will you help me?"

The softest part of Zi Hao's heart felt as if thousands of fine, sharp needles had been rubbed into it. His fingertips passed through her warm, cool hair, touching her cold-jade-like face veiled in light sorrow. He did not want to ask, nor did he ask, only responding to her with a single word, "Good."

(End of Chapter)