Chapter 1819

line: "The rain shows no sign of diminishing; the Jade Pool, which had been drained of water in a short time, has its bottom covered again by rainwater; the lotus flowers that had wilted from lack of moisture quickly regain their former vigor in the rain's soak." No Chinese.

Translation: The rain showed no sign of letting up; the Jade Pool, which had been drained of water in a short time, had its bottom covered again by rainwater, and the lotus flowers that had wilted from lack of moisture quickly regained their former vigor in the rain's soak.

We need to keep it concise but faithful. Let's produce: "The rain showed no sign of letting up; the Jade Pool, drained of water in a short time, had its bottom covered again by rainwater, and the lotus flowers that had wilted from lack of moisture quickly regained their former vigor in the rain's soak."

line: "Rain shows no sign of diminishing; the Jade Pool, which had been drained of water in a short time, its bottom has again been covered by rainwater; those lotus flowers that had become wilted due to loss of moisture, in the rain's immersion, quickly recovered their former vigor." No Chinese.

line: "The artisans who have been working around the clock to break through the Dragon Ling Sacred Realm continue their labor; in the past few days their greatest achievement has been locating Quan De'an's corpse, which has now been moved to the shore of the Jade Pool and placed inside a temporary rain shelter." No Chinese.

Translation: The artisans who had been working nonstop to break through Long Ling Shengjing continued their work; these past few days their greatest achievement was finding Quan De'an's corpse, which has now been taken to the shore of the Jade Pool and placed inside a makeshift rain shelter.

line: "We need to keep "artisans" as artisans, "break through" as break through, and "rain shelter" as rain shelter." Contains quotes with English words, fine.

line: "Mu Rongzhan and the specially summoned imperial physicians and coroners were all examining the corpse inside the rain shelter; when Hu Xiaotian arrived, he happened to see one of the physicians cover his mouth and rush out, then immediately bow and vomit,

Translation: Mu Rongzhan and the specially summoned imperial physicians and coroners were all examining the corpse inside the rain shelter; when Hu Xiaotian arrived, he happened to see an imperial physician cover his mouth and rush out, and as soon as he came out he bowed and vomited, showing the shock and impact Quan De'an's corpse had on him.

We need to keep "imperial physicians and coroners" as imperial physicians and coroners, "examining the corpse" as examining the corpse, "cover his mouth and rush out" as cover his mouth and rush out, and "bowed and vomited" as bowed and vomited.

Upon entering the rain shelter, Hu Xiaotian was hit by a foul odor; he held his breath and covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve, while the others inside likewise covered their faces with cloth, leaving only their eyes visible. Even so, he instantly recognized Mu Rongzhan by his white brows and hair and his gray eyes, which set him apart at any time.

Translation: Hu Xiaotian entered the rain shelter and immediately smelled a foul stench; he held his breath, covering his mouth and nose with his sleeve, while the few people inside all covered their mouths and noses with cloth, leaving only their eyes exposed. Even so, Hu Xiaotian instantly recognized Mu Rongzhan, whose white eyebrows and hair and gray eyes always stood out.

Mu Rongzhan said nothing, clasped his fists in a salute, and the others likewise bowed to Hu Xiaotian in respect.

Translation: Mu Rongzhan said nothing, clasped his fists in salute, and the others likewise bowed to Hu Xiaotian in greeting.

When Hu Xiaotian approached the corpse, he found it far worse than he had imagined; apparently after Quan De'an was killed, part of his body had been smashed by a boulder, leaving only a small fragment of his torso, from which his identity could still be determined by his clothing and personal effects.

Translation: Hu Xiaotian approached the corpse, which was worse than he had imagined; likely after Quan De'an was killed, part of his body was smashed by a boulder, leaving only a small fragment, and his identity was determined from his clothing and personal effects.

After carefully examining the body, Hu Xiaotian was certain it was Quan De'an; he nodded, turned and went outside the rain shelter, then entered a nearby waterside pavilion.

Translation: Hu Xiaotian carefully examined it, confirmed the corpse was Quan De'an, nodded, turned and went outside the rain shelter to a nearby waterside pavilion.

Mu Rongzhan followed him inside, pulled back the blue cloth covering his mouth and nose, and said in a low voice, "Your Lordship."

Translation: Mu Rongzhan followed him in, pulled aside the blue cloth covering his mouth and nose, and said in a low voice, "Prince."

Hu Xiaotian let out a long sigh and asked, "What do the physicians and coroners say?"

Translation: Hu Xiaotian let out a long sigh and said, "What did the imperial physicians and coroners say?"

Mu Rongzhan said, "We have just examined the corpse carefully; it is undoubtedly that of Lord Quan." He then produced a blue cloth bundle, unfolded it to reveal a gold-inlaid blackwood token—a token that every eunuch in the palace possesses—so this token alone is enough to confirm Quan De'an's identity.

Translation: Mu Rongzhan said, "We just examined it carefully; the corpse is undoubtedly Eunuch Quan." He produced a blue cloth bundle, unfolded the blue cloth to reveal a gold-inlaid blackwood token; such tokens are issued to every eunuch in the imperial palace, and this alone suffices to identify Quan De'an.

Remembering how Quan De'an had fought to the death against Tianqing Ren in his final moments, Hu Xiaotian couldn't help but sigh; though the old eunuch had long been castrated, his conduct still showed the mettle of a true man. He told Mu Rongzhan, "The princess has ordered that Quan De'an's funeral arrangements be left to me; now that his identity is confirmed, we should bury him as soon as possible."

Translation: Hu Xiaotian recalled Quan De'an's desperate final battle with Ren Tianqing, and couldn't help but sigh; though the senior eunuch had long been impotent, his conduct still made him a true man. He told Mu Rongzhan, "The Princess has ordered that Quan De'an's funeral arrangements be handled by me; now that his identity is confirmed, we should bury him promptly."

Mu Rongzhan nodded, noting that he and Quan De'an had not been close friends, so Quan De'an's death did not greatly disturb him; however, this meant Princess Yongyang would lose her most trusted confidant, and someone would surely be appointed to fill the vacancy. Without a doubt, Hu Xiaotian is the most likely to take Quan De'an's place; already a dominant figure, with the princess's support his influence will only grow, and it appears no one else in the Dakang court can now rival him.

Translation: Mu Rongzhan nodded; Quan De'an had not been particularly close to him, so his death did not greatly shock him. However, this meant the Yongyang Princess would lose her most important confidant, and someone would surely fill the role. Without doubt, Hu Xiaotian is the most likely to replace Quan De'an; Hu Xiaotian already dominated a region, and with the Yongyang Princess's backing his power will only grow. Looking over the entire Dakang court, no one else seems qualified to oppose him.

Mu Rongzhan said, "The princess previously said that as soon as Quan De'an's body is found, it should be reported to her immediately."

Translation: Mu Rongzhan said, "The Princess previously said that upon finding Eunuch Quan's corpse, we should report to her immediately."

Hu Xiaotian replied, "Saying it to me is the same; Quan De'an was loyal and true-hearted, and the princess is deeply grieved over his fate—do you really want to frighten her, Commander Murong?"

Translation: Hu Xiaotian said, "Telling me is the same; Eunuch Quan was loyal and devoted, and the Princess is deeply grieved over his fate—do you really want to frighten her, Commander Mu?"

Mu Rongzhan remained silent, understanding that if Qiqi were to see Quan De'an's current state, she might be frightened into illness.

Translation: Mu Rongzhan said nothing; he also understood that if Qiqi were to see Quan De'an's current state, she might be frightened into illness.

Hu Xiaotian said, "I will go seek the princess's instructions; Quan De'an served the master faithfully and with merit, so the court will surely posthumously confer an honorific title upon him."

Translation: Hu Xiaotian said, "I will go consult the Princess; Eunuch Quan was faithful and devoted, served his lord well, so the court will surely grant him a posthumous title."

Mu Rongzhan said, "Quan De'an's body has been found, but we do not know whether the search operation should continue."

Translation: Mu Rongzhan said, "Eunuch Quan's corpse has been found, but we don't know whether the search operation should continue."

Based on Hu Xiaotian's opinion, there is no need to search the Dragon Ling Sacred Realm any further; the condition of the ice cavern in the Xuan Tian Pavilion indicates that Tianqing Ren has already escaped, and whether Lady Meizhuang is alive or dead is irrelevant, since Quan De'an's body has been found and there is likely nothing of importance left in the realm; the airship and the two headless skeletons previously found have probably been taken away by Hong Beimo, though it is unclear why he has not reported it.

Translation: According to Hu Xiaotian's view, there is naturally no need to search Long Ling Shengjing any further; the situation inside the ice cave of Xuantian Guan shows that Ren Tianqing has escaped; as for Lady Meizhuang, whether she is dead or alive is irrelevant, Quan De'an's corpse has been found, and there should be nothing important left in Long Ling Shengjing; the airship and the two headless skeletons previously discovered were likely already moved by Hong Beimo, though it's unclear why he hasn't reported it.

Hu Xiaotian pondered for a moment and said, "Let me consult the princess first, then we'll talk again."

Translation: Hu Xiaotian pondered and said, "Let me consult the Princess first, then we'll decide."

Mu Rongzhan replied, "Then I, your humble servant, will await your lordship's word."

Translation: Mu Rongzhan said, "Then I, your humble servant, await the Prince's word."

Hu Xiaotian arrived at the Zilan Palace; Qiqi was indeed still waiting, and upon seeing him return she rushed up to him, asking, "How did it go?"

Translation: Hu Xiaotian came to Zilan Palace; Qiqi was indeed still waiting, and upon seeing him return she hurried up to him, asking, "How is it?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded and showed her Quan De'an's waist token; upon seeing it, Qiqi's eyes reddened, she took the token, pursed her lips, and asked, "Have the funeral arrangements for Lord Quan been made?"

Translation: Hu Xiaotian nodded, showed her Quan De'an's waist token; Qiqi saw it and her eyes reddened, she took the token, pursed her lips, and asked, "Have the arrangements for Eunuch Quan's funeral been made?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "I have already sent people to find a suitable spot in the officials' burial ground to give Lord Quan a grand funeral."

Translation: Hu Xiaotian said, "People have already been sent to the eunuch tomb to find the best spot for a grand burial of Eunuch Quan."

Qiqi said, "Forget it; he disliked ostentation in life, and the officials' burial ground is where palace personnel from all dynasties are interred—having served as a eunuch his whole life, he would surely not want to rest among those palace folk after death."

Translation: Qiqi said, "Forget it; he disliked ostentation, and the eunuch tomb is where palace personnel of all dynasties are buried. Since Eunuch Quan served as a eunuch his whole life, he surely would not wish to rest beside those palace folk after death."

Hu Xiaotian said, "You mean…"

Translation: Hu Xiaotian said, "You mean..."

Qiqi said, "Let him be cremated and send his ashes back to his hometown; returning fallen leaves to the roots would also fulfill one of his wishes." She handed Hu Xiaotian a lock of her hair, which was indeed her own, and added, "Since I was a child, Quan De'an has combed my hair every day; whenever I saw fallen hair I would lose my temper, and now I realize how willful I was back then—there will be no one left to comb my hair for me." Saying this, her heart ached and tears fell again; although Qiqi is normally strong and never sheds a tear in front of others, now, with only Hu Xiaotian present, she cannot understand why she feels so fragile.

Translation: Qiqi said, "Let us cremate him and send his ashes back to his hometown; returning fallen leaves to the roots would also fulfill one of his wishes." She handed Hu Xiaotian a lock of her hair—this lock was from her—and said, "Since I was young, Eunuch Quan combed my hair every day; whenever I saw fallen hair I would lose my temper, and now I realize how willful I was back then; from now on no one will comb my hair for me." Saying this, she felt a pang, tears fell again; though Qiqi is usually strong and never sheds tears before others, now only with Hu Xiaotian she cannot understand why she feels so fragile.

Hu Xiaotian reached out and gently placed his hand on her lock of hair, whispering, "I am still here."

Translation: Hu Xiaotian reached out, gently placed his hand on her lock of hair, and whispered, "I am still here."

Qiqi knew his words were meant more as comfort, and after wiping her tears she said, "If you burn my lock of hair together with Quan De'an's body, it will also count as the affection between master and servant."

Translation: Qiqi knew his words were more comforting than anything; she wiped her tears and said, "If you burn my lock of hair together with Eunuch Quan's corpse, it will also count as our bond as master and servant."

Hu Xiaotian thought to himself that this girl was not cold-hearted or unfeeling toward her relatives; at least her feelings for Quan De'an were genuine, and if she could direct that same affection toward him, she might become a fine young woman.

Translation: Hu Xiaotian secretly thought, "This girl is not cold-hearted and unfeeling toward her kin; at least her affection for Eunuch Quan is genuine. If she could direct that same feeling toward me, perhaps she could become a fine young woman."

Qiqi said, "By the way, envoys from both Great Yong and Black Hu have arrived this time; could you receive them for me?"

Translation: Qiqi said, "By the way, Da Yong and Black Hu have both sent envoys this time; please receive them for me."

Hu Xiaotian already knew that the envoy from Black Hu was Wanyan Liexin, who had also sent a visiting card today; however, they had missed each other because Hu Xiaotian was out, and Wanyan Liexin will come again tomorrow evening to pay his respects. As for the envoy from Great Yong, Hu Xiaotian did not know who it was, so he whispered, "Who is the envoy from Great Yong?"

Translation: The envoy from Black Hu, Hu Xiaotian already knew, was Wanyan Liexin; he had also sent a visiting card today, but because Hu Xiaotian was out they just missed each other; Wanyan Liexin will come again tomorrow evening to pay a visit. As for the envoy from Da Yong, Hu Xiaotian did not know who it was, and he whispered, "Who is the Da Yong envoy?"

Qiqi replied, "The Grand Princess Xue Lingjun."

Translation: Qiqi said, "The Elder Princess, Xue Lingjun."

Hu Xiaotian frowned, recalling his multiple encounters with Princess Xue Lingjun, whose scheming was quite deep; after she once betrayed herself in Great Yong, indirectly causing the death of Liu Changsheng, his opinion of her plummeted, and even if she attended his wedding as a guest, he would still be indifferent toward her.

Translation: Hu Xiaotian frowned; he and Xue Lingjun had dealt with each other more than once, this woman's scheming is quite deep; since the last time Xue Lingjun betrayed herself in Da Yong, indirectly causing Liu Changsheng's death, Hu Xiaotian's impression of her has plummeted, and even if she came to observe the wedding, Hu Xiaotian would pay her no heed.

Qiqi said meaningfully, "You and Princess Xue Lingjun are old acquaintances; this reunion must be making you very happy, right?"

Translation: Qiqi said meaningfully, "You and Xue Lingjun are old acquaintances; this reunion must surely make you delighted, right?"

Hu Xiaotian looked at Qiqi and couldn't help but laugh.

Translation: Hu Xiaotian looked at Qiqi and couldn't help but laugh.

Qiqi coldly asked, "What's there to laugh about?"

Translation: Qiqi coldly said, "What's there to laugh about?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "Why are you full of vinegar?"

Translation: Hu Xiaotian said, "Why are you full of vinegar?"

Qiqi laughed and said, "She's just a woman who will sleep with any man; I wouldn't be jealous of her, and besides..." She fixed her gaze on Hu Xiaotian's eyes and continued, "If any woman were to be jealous of you, she'd either be consumed by acid or burst from being overfilled!"

Translation: Qiqi chuckled, "Just a promiscuous woman who sleeps around; how could I be jealous of her? And furthermore..." She fixed her gaze on Hu Xiaotian's eyes and said, "If any woman were to be jealous of you, she'd either be eaten up by acid or burst from being overfilled!"

Hu Xiaotian smiled slightly, recalling the situation at the Jade Pool, and asked Qiqi whether they should stop the search.

Translation: Hu Xiaotian smiled faintly, recalling the situation at the Jade Pool, and asked Qiqi whether they should stop the search.

Qiqi nodded, agreeing that with Quan De'an's body found and Hu Xiaotian unharmed, there was no point in continuing to excavate the Dragon Ling Sacred Realm; it would only cause chaos in the palace, unsettling everyone, and moreover she did not want many outsiders coming and going. She instructed Hu Xiaotian to inform Mu Rongzhan and Hong Beimo to halt the search, withdraw the artisans and soldiers involved, and quickly restore the Jade Pool.

Translation: Qiqi nodded; she agreed. Now that Eunuch Quan's corpse has been found and Hu Xiaotian is safe, continuing to dig in Long Ling Shengjing serves no purpose—it would only throw the imperial palace into chaos, panic the people, and besides she does not want many outsiders coming and going in the palace. She had Hu Xiaotian notify Mu Rongzhan and Hong Beimo's side to halt the search, withdraw the artisans and warriors involved, and quickly restore the Jade Pool.

Hu Xiaotian agreed.

Translation: Hu Xiaotian agreed.

Qiqi reminded him, "It's getting late; you should head back now."

Translation: Qiqi reminded him, "It's getting late; you should head back."

Hu Xiaotian nodded, but then remembered there was still an important matter he had not mentioned, and he whispered, "Don't forget about the Heart Sutra."

Translation: Hu Xiaotian nodded, but recalled there was still an important matter unsettled, and said softly, "Don't forget about that Heart Sutra."

Seeing that Hu Xiaotian still could not forget the Heart Sutra, Qiqi began to doubt his sincerity toward her and replied calmly, "All right, go ahead; I don't want people gossiping."

Translation: Seeing Hu Xiaotian still preoccupied with the Heart Sutra, Qiqi began to doubt his sincerity toward her, and said calmly, "All right, go ahead; I don't want others gossiping."

Whether Qiqi likes it or not, rumors are sprouting like spring shoots after rain; since Hu Xiaotian made his public appearance and moved into the Zhenhai Prince's residence, it didn't take long for civil and military officials to realize that Princess Yongyang and Hu Xiaotian were likely rekindling their old romance, and it seems we will soon hear good news about them.

Translation: Whether Qiqi wanted it or not, rumors sprouted like spring shoots after rain; from the moment Hu Xiaotian appeared publicly and took up residence in the Zhenhai Wang Fu, it soon became clear to civil and military officials that the Yongyang Princess and Hu Xiaotian were rekindling their old affection, and before long they would hear good news about them.

Princess Yongyang's actions also fully demonstrate her trust in Hu Xiaotian; she first assigned him the responsibility of investigating the Xuan Tian Pavilion, then entrusted him with receiving the envoys from Great Yong and Black Hu, giving the Dakang officials time to ponder future changes in evidence and carefully choose their backers. However, for any envoy coming to Dakang, paying a visit to Prince Zhenhai Hu Xiaotian is an unavoidable obstacle.

Translation: Moreover, the Yongyang Princess's actions fully demonstrated her trust in Hu Xiaotian; she first assigned him to oversee the investigation of Xuantian Guan, then also entrusted him with receiving the envoys from Da Yong and Black Hu. Dakang officials still had time to ponder future evidence shifts and carefully choose their backers. However, for envoys coming to Dakang, paying a visit to the Zhenhai Wang Hu Xiaotian is an unavoidable hurdle.

The envoy from Great Yong, Grand Princess Xue Lingjun, felt a headache due to the shifting political landscape in Dakang; before her mission, Dakang and Hu Xiaotian had merely been in a private opposition with little communication, but upon arriving in the capital she heard that Hu Xiaotian and Princess Yongyang's relationship had suddenly thawed—not just thawed, but so quickly that it went from ice melting to spring blossoms in no time, and outside rumors about Hu Xiaotian and Qiqi have already proliferated.

Translation: The Da Yong envoy, Elder Princess Xue Lingjun, felt a headache due to shifts in Dakang's internal politics; before her mission, Dakang and Hu Xiaotian were in a private opposition with little communication, but upon arriving in Kangdu she heard that Hu Xiaotian and the Yongyang Princess's relationship had suddenly thawed—not just thawed, but quickly shifted from frozen to blooming spring, and outside rumors about Hu Xiaotian and Qiqi had already multiplied.

Princess Xue Lingjun is not someone who readily believes rumors, yet this time she considers them quite credible, having seen Qiqi at Hu Xiaotian's wedding and even having tried to provoke her; however, the girl proved exceedingly shrewd, easily seeing through her intentions. From that point on, Xue Lingjun harbored the thought that Hu Xiaotian and Qiqi might well rekindle their old romance, but she also believed that both men and women possessed great ambition, and that such a reunion would likely face formidable obstacles. After Hu Xiaotian's scheme to seize Yingyang and the northeastern part of Sichuan, she thought the chances of their reconciliation were slim, yet reality proved the opposite. Now Hu Xiaotian openly appears in the capital, and Princess Yongyang has entrusted him with important duties, including the reception of envoys, all of which have been placed in his hands.

Translation: Xue Lingjun is not one to readily believe rumors, yet this time she found them quite credible, for she had seen Qiqi at Hu Xiaotian's grand wedding and had even tried to provoke her; but that girl was exceedingly worldly and easily saw through her intent. From then on, Xue Lingjun harbored the thought that Hu Xiaotian and Qiqi might well rekindle their old romance, yet she also felt that both Hu Xiaotian and Qiqi possessed great ambition, and such a pair seeking reconciliation would likely face formidable obstacles. After Hu Xiaotian's scheme to seize Yunyang and the northeastern part of Xichuan, she thought their chances of reuniting were slim, but reality proved otherwise. Now Hu Xiaotian openly appears in Kangdu, and moreover the Yongyang Princess has entrusted him with important duties, including receiving envoys, all placed in his hands.

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