Chapter 58

The summer breeze brushed past them, not particularly gently, lifting the hem of Liu Che's skirt. Liu Li turned and watched the two embracing from afar; because of the wind's interference, their sleeves were blended together, merging with the scenery of Ganquan Palace.

Liu Li suddenly thought of a phrase: "scenery like a painting."

If she had a camera right now, she would definitely take a picture of this scene.

Liu Che didn't know what was wrong with him these past few days; perhaps because his period had started, he seemed somewhat irritable. He seemed to have lost his reason, rushing to Ganquan Palace from the Changmen Palace with great difficulty, seemingly just to see A Jiao.

It seemed that as long as he saw her before his eyes, he would feel at ease, would feel... that things were still under his control.

"Why don't you speak?" Liu Che had been moved by himself for a long time, but seeing A Jiao had no reaction, he seemed somewhat dissatisfied, looking up from her embrace, his phoenix eyes fixed tightly on her.

A Jiao lowered her eyes slightly, a strange light flickering in the eyes looking at him. After a long while, she said softly: "Since the Changmen Garden is cold and desolate, why not rename it Changmen Palace? We can arrange for people to expand the Changmen Palace properly; perhaps it won't be cold and desolate anymore."

Liu Che frowned; facing her words that came out of nowhere, he didn't know how to answer for a moment, and finally nodded helplessly: "That's fine, anyway, this is a garden given by Aunt."

They lived in Ganquan Palace until mid-August, and even the Mid-Autumn Festival on the fifteenth of August was spent in Ganquan Palace.

Liu Li had said before that there were many sacrificial activities in ancient times; either they were sacrificing to this ancestor or that, fully demonstrating the divine right of kings to the world.

And the Mid-Autumn Festival on the fifteenth of August evolved from the autumn evening moon sacrifice of ancient times. For the ancients, the moon in the sky was not a celestial body, but the Moon Goddess.

Therefore, the Mid-Autumn Festival was also called the Moon Sacrifice Festival, and thus, the moon sacrifice was also a very important sacrificial festival in the Han Dynasty.

A few days before the Mid-Autumn Festival, four officials including the Grand Invoker from the Ministry of Rites came to Ganquan Palace to prepare for the moon sacrifice ceremony a few days later.

Ganquan Palace was built on a mountain, so there was no need to look for a mountain peak for the sacrificial site; they could just set up an altar on one of the peaks in Ganquan Palace.

Liu Li watched the Grand Invokers busy transporting things up the mountain, feeling that ancient times were truly particular, and looking at their expressions, she felt that the moon sacrifice activity must be a very serious matter.

On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, they ate dinner early, and taking advantage of the brilliant afterglow of the sunset, A Jiao took Liu Che and Liu Li onto the carriage to go up the mountain for the sacrifice.

Several guards cleared the way in front, the palace maids behind held the steamed buns and fruits for the sacrifice, followed by the Emperor's carriage.

The Grand Invokers followed behind the carriage, and a team of guards brought up the rear; the group headed toward the altar on the mountain in a grand procession to prepare to sacrifice to the Moon Goddess.

Liu Li rested her chin on the carriage window, poked her small head out, and tilted it to look at the moon appearing and disappearing in the sky.

Seeing her daughter looking at the moon in the sky like that, Liu Che asked slowly: "Does A Li know the story of Chang'e flying to the moon?"

Hearing this, Liu Li tilted her head slightly to look at Liu Che, her eyes clear: "What story is Chang'e flying to the moon?"

Liu Che then said: "Legend has it that in ancient times, Chang'e's husband, Hou Yi, asked the Xi Wang Mu for an elixir of immortality; as long as one ate it, one could ascend to become an immortal. So on this day of the fifteenth of August, Chang'e, wanting to become an immortal, stole and ate this elixir and flew to the Moon Palace to become a goddess."

Liu Li wrinkled her nose and puffed out her lips: "Why is the story Father tells different from the one A Li knows?"

Liu Che raised an eyebrow: "Oh? What do you know?"

"Legend has it that in ancient times, Hou Yi was the leader of a tribe and was very brave. But his personality was violent, and he would kill people at the drop of a hat. Hou Yi wanted to live forever and begged for the elixir from the Xi Wang Mu. The kind-hearted Chang'e heard about it, and in order to prevent Hou Yi from living forever and harming the people, she stole Hou Yi's elixir and flew to the Moon Palace, becoming the Moon Goddess in the Moon Palace."

Liu Che was curious: "Where did you hear this story?"

Liu Li thought to herself, I also know seven or eight different versions; I wonder which one you want to hear?

Chang'e flying to the moon was originally an ancient mythological

story, and different dynasties had different versions. For example, the version Liu Che just told appeared among the people in the pre-Qin period and was later compiled in the *Huainanzi*.

And the author of the *Huainanzi* was Liu Ling's father, Huainan King Liu An, and the retainers under him. Liu An presented this book to Liu Che in the second year of Jianyuan.

It is said that the content of the book *Huainanzi* summarized many classical books of the pre-Qin period, encompassing all things in the world, heaven and earth, birds and beasts, and military and agricultural farming were all recorded.

Ancient mythological stories like Hou Yi shooting the sun, Chang'e flying to the moon, and Nüwa mending the sky were all passed down through the *Huainanzi*. Liu Li had always felt that for a scholar like Liu An, not focusing on literature but instead thinking of raising an army to rebel was simply... a waste of talent.

"Father, don't worry about how I know this story for now; I just want to ask you, which story do you think is more reasonable?" Liu Li rested her chin on her hand and looked at Liu Che, her bright eyes filled with a smile.

Liu Che thought for a moment and looked at A Jiao beside him: "A Jiao, which story do you think is reasonable?"

A Jiao pondered for a moment and said: "Naturally, the story A Li told is more reasonable."

Liu Che raised an eyebrow.

A Jiao said: "If Chang'e were just a petty person who stole her husband's elixir, how could she be worthy of being a fairy in the Moon Palace and protecting the common people of the world? It turns out Chang'e stole Hou Yi's elixir to protect the people in the tribe."

Liu Che nodded in agreement: "Looking at it this way, I have always misunderstood Fairy Chang'e."

Liu Li: "..."

Chang'e says, don't cue me, thanks.

In fact, Liu Li had always felt that the Han people were a very magical race; we believe in gods because gods can bring us blessings, strength, and expectations. Once something bad happens, then the gods in our eyes are nonsense.

Liu Che suddenly spoke: "A Li, I have always been curious, which sacred deity is the Goddess who contacts you?"

"Uh..." Liu Li choked, pursed her lips, and said: "It's a Heavenly God."

As expected, does the beginning of one lie mean having to use countless lies to cover it up? Since the boast was already made, Liu Li simply said: "It's the Heavenly God who manages all immortals."

Liu Che's pupils shook; the Goddess who protects A Li is actually a Heavenly God? So, does a Heavenly God really exist in this world? Although Liu Che had always touted himself as the Son of Heaven, the son of a Heavenly God.

But he had never seen a Heavenly God, and the Heavenly God had never given him any help. And Liu Che himself knew clearly that whether it was himself or Ying Zheng of the pre-Qin period, calling themselves the Son of Heaven was just to better rule the country and make the people believe.

Now, hearing the existence of a Heavenly God confirmed from his own daughter's mouth, Liu Che was mostly shocked, followed by a bit of relief; fortunately, A Li was his daughter.

If it had been someone else, regardless of whether they had the protection of any Heavenly God, this person would have to die!

Liu Che wanted to ask something more, but the carriage had already stopped slowly, and the driver outside the carriage said: "Your Majesty, the sacrificial altar has arrived."

Liu Che responded subconsciously and said: "Let's get off and sacrifice to the moon."

At this time, the sky had turned completely black, and the full moon overhead was bright and clear, large and round, like a big jade plate.

The palace maids placed the sacrificial offerings on the altar, the Grand Invoker officials welcomed the Emperor and Empress, and when A Jiao and Liu Che stood before the altar, everyone faced the tablet of the Moon Goddess together to offer incense and bow.

Finally, everyone knelt before the altar, listening to the chanting of the Grand Invokers, and looked up together at the moon in the sky, watching it slowly change from a round moon, gradually losing a piece, and then another piece.

Liu Che looked at the legendary phenomenon of the Heavenly Dog eating the moon in the sky, and suddenly remembered Liu Li saying that as long as one used sincerity, one could see the Goddess, and his expression suddenly became exceptionally pious.

Liu Li knelt behind, also looking up at the moon, and quite a few poems about the moon written by the ancients appeared in her mind. She watched as the round moon turned into a crescent, and finally disappeared completely from the sky.

Because they were on the mountain, the lunar eclipse landscape they saw was quite clear and bright. Just as Liu Li was quietly waiting for the moon to appear again, a guard beside her

suddenly moved. Out of curiosity, Liu Li turned her head to look.

This look was not trivial; she saw that the guard was holding a gleaming dagger, raised high, and coming directly toward A Jiao, the edge filled with murderous intent.

Liu Li was shocked and shouted: "Careful, there's an assassin!"

The guard was also stunned; he chose to act at this time because when the Heavenly Dog ate the moon, the light of the moon had been completely covered, and secondly, everyone was concentrating on the sacrifice and would not be distracted to see him.

It was just that he didn't expect Princess Jianling would not be focused during the sacrifice and would turn her head at this time.

However, the arrow was on the string and had to be fired; the assassin had no way back, so he charged directly at the Son of Heaven before him.

Liu Li's shout of "There's an assassin" resounded through the entire mountain forest. Liu Che opened his eyes abruptly, turned around, and also saw the assassin holding a dagger charging toward A Jiao.

Almost instinctively, Liu Che reached out and pulled A Jiao beside him, making the assassin's killing move miss.

At this time, the other guards reacted and pulled out their weapons one after another to deal with the assassin before them. Seeing the assassination had failed, the assassin felt a sense of despair in his heart and looked hatefully at Liu Li, who had ruined his plans.

Thinking that if the assassination failed, he would die anyway, the assassin turned and charged toward Liu Li, wanting to take someone down with him even if he died.

A Jiao watched helplessly as the assassin charged toward her daughter and exclaimed: "A Li, be careful! Protect the Princess!"

Where had Liu Li ever seen such a formation? She sat blankly on the spot, watching the sharp blade strike toward her, her mind a complete blank.

As a good citizen of the twenty-first century, where had Liu Li ever witnessed such a thing as an assassination? Let alone an assassination, even when going to the vegetable market to buy groceries, seeing chickens and geese being killed, she wouldn't dare to look at the bloody scene.

Liu Che's expression tightened; relying on A Jiao's delicate and flexible female body, he moved faster than the guard, pouncing toward Liu Li, protecting his daughter in his arms, and knocking over the table used to sacrifice to the Moon Goddess.

At this moment, the assassin, holding the dagger, refused to give up, forcing his moves toward Liu Che, determined to make his blade draw blood.

Liu Che held his daughter and exchanged moves with the assassin; the sacrificial offerings on the ground were scattered everywhere, and the scene was extremely chaotic. Because the moon in the sky had not yet appeared, there was no light on the ground, and the guards could not distinguish which of the blurred figures before them was the assassin and which was the Empress.

At this time, the moon revealed a curved crescent, and the world thus had light.

However, when Liu Che was dodging the assassin's killing move, his foot seemed to step on something and he slipped. Then, his whole body tilted backward, and he actually fell off the cliff while holding Liu Li.

A Jiao exclaimed: "A Li!"

Seeing this, the assassin was also dumbfounded. By the time he came to his senses, the guards had already surrounded him, forcing him to the edge of the cliff. Seeing his assassination had failed, the assassin simply threw the dagger away and turned to jump off the cliff as well.

The moon hanging overhead gradually revealed itself completely, and the large, round moonlight clearly and brightly illuminated everything on the cliff. A Jiao walked to the edge of the cliff in disbelief, her expression somewhat dazed.

This change happened too suddenly; clearly, a moment ago her A Li was still discussing the story of Chang'e flying to the moon with them, but the next moment, A Li and Liu Che had both fallen off the cliff.

The guards stopped the Son of Heaven: "Your Majesty, be careful!"

A Jiao recovered from her panic; she looked at the Grand Invokers hiding on the side, then at the guards stopping her, her ink-black eyes filled with anger: "As my personal guards, you actually allowed an assassin to appear!"

The guards looked at each other, and then the leading guard knelt down with the other guards: "Your subordinate failed to protect the master; please punish me, Your Majesty."

"If I punish you, can the Empress and my Princess come back?" A Jiao's anger was hard to quell; she said in a cold voice: "Go find them, everyone search the mountain for people. No matter what, I want to see them alive or... see their corpses. If you can't find the Empress and the Princess, all of you will bring your heads to see me!"

The guards responded in unison: "Yes." They knew that if the Empress and the Princess really had an accident, none of them present would be able to escape.

Liu Li also didn't expect that she would be able to experience the plot of the protagonist falling off a cliff in a martial arts novel. She

thought perhaps she really had the protection of a god; falling from such a high mountain, she actually didn't die.

When she and Liu Che fell, she actually thought she was dead for sure. At that moment, the revolving lantern in her mind began to run, and more of the memories were from after she traveled to this world.

The bits and pieces of getting along with A Jiao, and how she changed this world bit by bit through the system. She suddenly felt a bit reluctant to die like this; after all, she hadn't even been in this world for a year.

Perhaps she really had the protagonist's halo protecting her; while falling, they were blocked by a large tree halfway up the mountain, gaining a buffer.

Liu Che was quick-witted and quickly grabbed a branch, stopping temporarily.

Before Liu Li could speak to Liu Che, she heard a scream from overhead; someone else fell from above, and coincidentally landed on this tree growing out of the mountain, snapping the trunk.

Afterward, the three of them continued to fall downward; Liu Che instinctively protected Liu Li in his arms, rolling down along the mountain.

Liu Li only felt a sense of spinning, as if countless little stars were rotating in her head, and then she fell into a pool of water at the bottom of the mountain with Liu Che.

Gurgle, gurgle...

Liu Li felt Liu Che let go of her; she was dizzy for a moment, quickly held her breath, and swam upward, still dragging Liu Che, who didn't know if he was dead or alive.

This scene made Liu Li feel as if she had returned to the scene when she heroically jumped into the water to save someone; she desperately pushed the girl who jumped into the water to commit suicide to the shore, but then she sank into the river because of a leg cramp.

This time, nothing must go wrong!

People always burst out with great potential when facing life and death; Liu Li used all her strength to finally drag Liu Che to the shore. When she checked that his breathing and pulse were still there, Liu Li finally breathed a sigh of relief. She lay on the ground as if exhausted, panting heavily.

It was late at night, and there was no light at all under the mountain forest; it could be said that one could not see one's fingers. Clearly, it was summer at this time, but Liu Li couldn't help but shiver; the night in the valley was too cold, and their bodies were all wet.

No, she couldn't just lie there like this, otherwise, even if she didn't freeze to death, she would freeze until she got sick.

She struggled to climb up from the ground, but hated that she was only a child's body at this time and couldn't do anything. She closed her eyes, intending to redeem something useful from the system space, but looking at the dazzling array of products before her, she didn't know what to redeem for a moment.

The third floor of the mall had cold-proof cotton clothes, but their clothes were all wet; even if they put on cotton-padded jackets and down jackets, it wouldn't work. At this time, she had to find a way to roast their clothes dry.

Liu Li thought of the wilderness survival variety shows she had watched in modern times, racked her brains, and finally determined one thing: she had to find a way to make a fire first.

In the backward ancient times, the ancestors of mankind discovered fire by drilling wood. Now Liu Li felt she didn't have that ability, but she could redeem a lighter from the system store.

With the lighter, she still needed a lot of wood. But it was pitch black here; even with the flame of the lighter, her visual range was very small, and she still needed a flashlight.

Liu Li closed her eyes and found a flashlight on the second floor of the system mall, but there were several different kinds, and the prices were different. The traditional battery-powered flashlight only needed 100 points, there was also a hand-cranked flashlight that needed 500 points, and the most expensive was a solar-rechargeable flashlight, which needed 1000 points.

Ever since she spent 10,000 points to upgrade the system before, Liu Li only had a few thousand points left. Although she updated the favorability of historical figures later, the points obtained were not many.

And she had already touched almost all the well-known historical figures of the Han Dynasty; to get more points, she still had to unlock historical events. But unfortunately, there were no historical events in the fourth year of Yuanguang that she could unlock, and the events already unlocked were still in an unfinished state.

Currently, she had more than 5,000 points available, and she didn't know how long they would be trapped under the cliff. Liu Li thought for a while and finally chose to redeem the solar-rechargeable flashlight worth 1,000 points.

After getting the flashlight, Liu Li turned it on and shone it around the environment, discovering that they were indeed in a dense forest, and the place where they fell was a pool formed later. This pool was not large, and the source could not be seen; it was estimated that the water in the pool was accumulated from rain.

At this time, there seemed to be a person floating in the pool. Liu Li shone the flashlight on it, barely seeing the clothes on the person, and judged that it should be the assassin who assassinated them on the top of the mountain earlier.

Thinking of this, Liu Li felt a bit numb in her heart; she hurriedly moved the light away and went to check on Liu Che's situation, only to find that his clothes were broken in many places, and his face and forehead were also covered in abrasions, with beads of blood oozing out.

His complexion was even paler; if Liu Li hadn't confirmed just now that he still had breathing and a pulse, she would have almost thought he was dead.

Liu Li took a deep breath; she knew that whether they could survive now depended entirely on herself. She couldn't die, and she couldn't let Liu Che die! At least the scene of Liu Che protecting her with his life earlier, Liu Li would not forget.

Liu Li shone the flashlight toward the forest on the side and found that there were many branches and leaves on the ground. She breathed a sigh of relief and decided to pick up some branches to make a small fire to survive tonight first.