Chapter 434

Long Xuan'en sighed, filled with grief and indignation, saying: "What a wicked wretch, utterly disregarding sibling affection, actually sending his own sister into a tiger's den with his own hands!" As he spoke these words, he seemed to have completely forgotten that, during his reign, to stabilize the western border, he had intended to marry off his daughter to Sha Jia in a marriage alliance.

Long Xuan'en nodded: "Good, it's rare that you still remember I am your father… Since I came to this Lingxiao Palace, not a single child has come to visit me." As he said this, a hard-to-describe sorrow welled up in his heart, turning into intense anger. Long Xuan'en's temperament grew increasingly eccentric and odd with age; after being confined to Piaomiao Peak, his long solitude made his disposition ever stranger.

His hand withdrew from Long Xi Yue's face, then suddenly clenched tightly, grinding his teeth he said: "How could your hearts have any place for me as your father, any trace of blood‑kin affection? You do not respect me, but the power in my hand!" His emotions suddenly surged, roaring like a fierce tiger.

Long Xi Yue was frightened by her father's sudden agitation, her voice trembling: "Father, please calm down, please calm down."

Long Xuan'en calmed down amid his daughter's cries, he looked at Long Xi Yue: "Seeing me like this, do you find it rather funny? Rather pitiful?"

Long Xi Yue shook her head through tears: "Father, I only wish to see you once more before I leave Dakang."

"You have already seen me, but I fear your coming to see me is not that simple—speak. What exactly is it for?" Long Xuan'en's eyes were full of suspicion.

Long Xi Yue bit her cherry lip: "Father, I also want to ask one thing—my mother… where exactly is she buried?"

Long Xuan'en chuckled: "You certainly didn't come to see me! All my many sons and daughters are only scheming and calculating; not one truly treats me sincerely…" He became agitated, and the imperial "I" slipped out.

Long Xi Yue said through tears: "Father, I only want to know where my mother is buried? Do you really refuse to tell me even this? Does a daughter not even have this right?"

Long Xuan'en suddenly stopped laughing, his deep eyes like an ancient abyss coldly fixed on Long Xi Yue: "You want to know? I will tell you—I crushed that lowly woman's bones, scattered her ashes, and threw them into this Jade Pool to feed the fish and shrimp; not a trace of her remains."

Hearing this shocking calamity, Long Xi Yue could hardly believe it, her voice trembling: "You're deceiving me… Father, you are deceiving me…"

Long Xuan'en laughed loudly: "Deceive you? Why would I deceive you?"

Long Xi Yue shook her head firmly: "Impossible, you have always doted on mother; you could never treat her like this…"

Long Xuan'en gritted his teeth: "It is precisely because I indulged her too much that she dared to do something unbecoming of me. That lowly woman deserved death, and so do you—you all wish to harm me, you all deserve to die, you all ought to die!" Long Xuan'en suddenly lunged forward, his hands actually closing around Long Xi Yue's throat.

"Father…" Long Xi Yue uttered only a sound before her father's strong hands choked her, leaving her unable to breathe. She struggled desperately, but could not escape his demonic grasp.

Long Xuan'en burst into fits of mad laughter, his whole person utterly plunged into a frenzied state, grinding his teeth, murderous aura rising, like a blood‑thirsty demon.

At this critical moment, two figures appeared inside the palace—Wang Qian and Hu Xiaotian, who had been keeping watch outside, listening attentively to the movements within, sensed that something was wrong, and hurriedly rushed in. Seeing the scene before them, both were shocked and dismayed. Wang Qian, being old and slow of movement, trembled: "Your Majesty, release your hand, Your Majesty, release your hand…"

Hu Xiaotian took a few quick strides forward, grabbed Long Xuan'en's arms with both hands, forcibly pulled them apart, and in one motion shoved the old emperor to the ground, supporting Long Xi Yue's shoulders, he said anxiously: "Your Highness, Your Highness!"

Long Xi Yue, having been choked near to suffocation, kept coughing dryly; only after a long while did she regain her breath. Seeing Hu Xiaotian rush over, she realized he had once again pulled her back from the brink of death, and she was still shaken with fear. Hu Xiaotian was furious beyond restraint—this old emperor truly was treacherous and vicious, actually laying such a cruel hand on his own biological daughter; had he arrived a moment later, Long Xi Yue would likely have died at his hands. As the saying goes, even a tiger does not eat its own offspring; this utterly inhuman old wretch deserves to end up abandoned by all and estranged from kin.

Wang Qian helped Long Xuan'en up from the ground: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"

Long Xuan'en still could not stop his mad laughter, grinding his teeth he said: "Every one of you wishes to harm me, to seize my rivers and mountains, to seize my state and altars, to seize my wealth, to seize my women…"

Hu Xiaotian silently cursed, this old thing is fundamentally a paranoid lunatic; if he weren't a retired emperor, if he weren't in the Lingxiao Palace, I would surely have rushed forward and ended his life. Long Xi Yue recovered, seeing Hu Xiaotian's angry expression, worried he might act rashly, she grabbed his arm, gently shook her head, and whispered: "Let's go!" The mad old emperor—there's no point in staying.

Wang Qian burst into tears, calling out: "Your Majesty, awaken! Your Majesty, awaken!"

At this moment Long Xuan'en suddenly ceased his laughter, his eyes vacant as he gazed at Long Xi Yue, as if he had just cleared his mind; he murmured: "Xi Yue… Xi Yue… you have come to see me… What have I just done to you? What have I done?" He struggled to rise and walk toward Long Xi Yue; Wang Qian tried to hold him back, but he shook him off violently.

Long Xi Yue remained fearful of what had just happened; although she heard her father calling her name, she still dared not approach.

Long Xuan'en staggered forward a step, but unexpectedly his foot slipped, he rolled down the steps; those nearby were at a distance and could not reach him in time, and Long Xuan'en's forehead struck the step, actually bruising.

Seeing her father in that state, Long Xi Yue instantly forgot her fear, she rushed forward without hesitation to help him up: "Father!"

Wang Qian also came to the side and helped Long Xuan'en up from the ground; although Hu Xiaotian arrived first, he did not lend a hand, for he cared nothing about the old emperor's life or death—his true concern was Long Xi Yue, fearing that Long Xuan'en might harm her again.

Long Xuan'en gazed at Long Xi Yue, his eyes showing an unprecedented kindness: "Xi Yue, Xi Yue!"

Hu Xiaotian looked at Long Xuan'en's mercurial demeanor and secretly thought, this old fellow is likely driven mad by stimulation.

Long Xi Yue said: "Father! You are tired, go back and rest."

Long Xuan'en sighed: "Indeed I am a little weary, Xi Yue, you just said you wanted to leave Dakang?"

Long Xi Yue nodded: "When I am not by your side, Father, you must take good care of yourself." Saying this, her nose soured and tears fell again.

Long Xuan'en said: "Go, the farther you go the better, lest that beast harm you—he wants to seize my throne, it won't be easy; as long as I have not handed over the Heirloom Jade Seal to him, he cannot be considered a legitimate ruler of Dakang."

Hu Xiaotian's heart jolted at this news—was the old emperor speaking truth or raving? If what he said were all true, then Long Yelin had not yet obtained the Heirloom Jade Seal, and thus could not be considered a legitimate emperor.

Wang Qian hurriedly interjected: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, you are tired; you had better return to rest quickly."

Long Xi Yue sighed, bade farewell to her father, then rose and left. Hu Xiaotian followed her out of the Lingxiao Palace; by the lantern light he saw her pretty face filled with a lost, gloomy expression—this encounter, the old emperor's heartlessness and cruelty deeply wounded her; indeed, it is better not to have met, for meeting only adds to sorrow.

Hu Xiaotian consoled from the side: "I think the retired emperor's mind has grown addled." Witnessing Long Xi Yue's ordeal, having such a father is worse than having none; compared to her, at least I still have both parents, whose care for me is meticulous—in this regard I am far more fortunate.

Long Xi Yue bit her cherry lip: "I never imagined Father would become like this." Her expression was listless and joyless, her mood extremely sorrowful.

Wang Qian hurried up from behind, came before Long Xi Yue and performed a respectful salute: "Your Highness, do not blame him; since the emperor came to the Lingxiao Palace, his mind has grown hazy, and these past months his condition has worsened—he either sits on the dragon throne in a daze, or utters incoherent words; Your Highness must certainly not take him as a measure."

Long Xi Yue said gloomily: "From now on, please trouble Senior Eunuch Wang to look after him more."

Wang Qian said: "Your Highness, rest assured, this old servant will certainly do his utmost to attend to the emperor." Wang Qian himself is also in the twilight of his years; he likely has little time left, and if this senior eunuch were to depart, Long Xuan'en would probably have no one close to attend him— the ruler of a nation ending his days in such desolation makes one sigh at the fickleness of fate.

Wang Qian added: "Your Highness, please do not take to heart what the emperor said; even he himself now does not know what he is uttering."

Long Xi Yue nodded, just about to leave, when she heard Wang Qian say again: "Since you have come, Your Highness, you might as well make a trip to the Yun Temple, where the spirit tablet of Consort Li is placed."

Long Xi Yue's beautiful eyes widened, showing gratitude, she softly said: "Thank you, Senior Eunuch Wang!"

Watching Hu Xiaotian and Long Xi Yue walk away, Wang Qian then trembled back to the Lingxiao Palace.

The retired emperor Long Xuan'en lay half-reclined on the dragon bed, his eyes half-open, half-closed, occasional glints of light flashing between them; his expression was exceptionally clear—Long Xuan'en was no longer the mad old man of just moments before.

Wang Qian came to the bedside, lowered his voice and said: "The princess has left."

Long Xuan'en's lips curled with a faint cold smile: "You guess, will he come to visit me?"

A new week has arrived; every Monday, the recommendation list restarts. Speaking of which, there are over 60,000 collections; if each person casts one recommendation ticket, we should be able to push Medical Union onto the weekly recommendation list. Please, one vote per person! (To be continued~^~)