Chapter 537: line with translation of chapter title

Duan Rongshi does not wish to elaborate on the process.

He only glosses over it in a few brief sentences.

"Thrilling."

"It broke half of Zongzheng Langri's courage."

"Five of the escort troops that were taken died on the way to the tomb chamber that Zongzheng Langri intended to reach."

The traps are numerous.

Gloomy and terrifying.

If one says there are no ghosts in the world, those who walked that path in recent days would surely not believe it.

Along the way they even encountered the corpses of tomb robbers.

Even the tomb robbers could not leave this imperial tomb that occupies the entire Li Mountain alive.

Li Qingluo: "Then quickly tell me, how thrilling was it?"

She curiously scratched at her heart and liver.

But he seemed hesitant, only pulling her into his arms and sitting patiently, saying, "I'll tell you slowly later."

He does not want to frighten her.

And the wound on his back, of course, was left by the traps along the way.

After emerging, Qingyang Zi performed a lengthy ritual for him before allowing him to return home.

He feared he would bring back yin energy and trouble her.

Since she herself had crossed the Ghost Gate, Duan Rongshi was naturally extremely cautious, so he did not wish to discuss the tomb matters with her any further at this time.

"First guess, whose remains has he been trying by every means to steal from the imperial tomb over the years?"

Li Qingluo paused.

"Could it be... the late emperor's empress?"

She had actually already guessed.

Duan Rongshi hummed.

"It's the imperial great-grandmother."

The person who would call her 'grandmother' was buried for several years among the tangled stones under the cold palace tree.

It had long since become a single white bone.

After great difficulty it was interred in the imperial tomb for peace, yet the obsessive son dug it up and stole it.

Li Qingluo: "Then why would he do that?"

"Is he truly a mad emperor?"

Duan Rongshi recalled Zongzheng Langri's excited expression when he pushed open the stone sarcophagus co‑buried with the late emperor and his empress.

"Mother Empress, your son has come to take you away."

His face was streaked with tears; he personally untied his cloak, carefully slipped into the coffin, and then carefully lifted the late empress's remains piece by piece out.

He truly resembled a madman.

Yet upon seeing his demeanor, Duan Rongshi felt a trace of emotion.

He recalled his wandering soul reaching Luo'er's previous life, possessing his former self, and gathering Luo'er's skeletal remains one by one in the forest.

For one's dearest loved ones, even if only bones, how could one be afraid?

It turned out the madness in his bones came from the Zongzheng clan.

Duan Rongshi coldly watched Emperor Chu go mad without any reaction.

Qingyang Zi beside him was left gaping.

The other escorts each wore horrified expressions, finally realizing that over the years Emperor Chu had sought to enter the imperial tomb to take the late empress's remains.

Li Qingluo slowly mulled over the meaning.

"He does not want the late empress buried in the imperial tomb, not because he is unfilial, but because he has never let go of the knot of grief over his mother's death!"

Because Zongzheng Langri knows that his mother Empress, while alive, only wished to leave the Zongzheng clan, and her sole regret before death was that she could not escape the palace cage.

Now that she is dead, she naturally does not wish to be hypocritically interred together with the emperor in the imperial tomb.

He, however, closed his eyes.

The Empress Mother, however, would certainly be unwilling, fearing she would carry resentment even after death.

She had personally said in life that whether in death or life, she would never meet the late emperor again.

"He built his own imperial tomb."

Duan Rongshi said slowly, "It seems he does not intend to bury himself in the Zongzheng clan's imperial tomb."

"Qingyang Zi entered his tomb chamber and said there were three stone sarcophagi inside."

"Besides the main position, there are two side positions on the left and right."

"The tomb chamber is huge, three times larger than a typical emperor's tomb chamber."

"Now he has already stolen the imperial great-grandmother's remains out of the imperial tomb."

"If I am not mistaken, the imperial great-grandmother will be buried by him in his own tomb chamber."

"The other one..."

Duan Rongshi did not continue, but Li Qingluo's heart leapt hard.

"What a coincidence, exactly three?"

"Could it be that he also wants to steal the mother consort's relics?"

"He intends to be interred together with the mother consort and the imperial great-grandmother!"

This notion, though inconceivable, might not be something this madman could not accomplish.

Li Qingluo: "No, I must arrange personnel to guard my mother consort's remains!"

Even if the mother consort does not care to be buried in the Duan imperial mausoleum, she also does not wish for her remains, which have rested peacefully for nineteen years, to be dug up again, let alone to wander unsettled in this world.

Duan Rongshi: "He cannot do it."

"Lu'er, don't get agitated."

He tightly grasped Li Qingluo's hand, calming her down.

Duan Rongshi: "In this lifetime, he must not even dare to covet the slightest bit of the mother consort."

Seven days later.

The Empress's birthday banquet.

Li Qingluo's appearance caused many young ladies from aristocratic families to show looks of surprise.

"Isn't that Miss Shangguan?"

"How could she possibly enter the palace today?"

"She is merely a merchant's wife; what right does she have to appear at the Empress's birthday banquet?"

"Who knows what her background really is?"

Everyone shook their heads.

Nowadays, the hostess of the Flower Pavilion tavern is considered a big shot in Nan'an, but after all she is just a merchant's wife—who would really take her seriously?

Yet who would have thought she would actually appear at the banquet of the mother of a nation!

How could such an occasion be something any Tom, Dick, or Harry could attend?

Everyone naturally became curious about her identity.

They began to think she was not really just a merchant's wife.

Li Qingluo sat calmly in her seat, unmoved as others gazed at her, showing no change in expression.

Until Duan Rongshi came to her side.

He, clad in armor, leaned forward and bent his waist to stand behind her, speaking to her attentively and considerately.

The couple's every intimate gesture instantly sparked a wave of murmurs.

"Who is this young man?"

He looks like the newly appointed Cavalry General by His Majesty, serving in the Imperial Forest Army.

Isn't that the one of obscure origins, whom His Majesty repeatedly calls 'beloved minister' in court, and who is said to be utterly trusted, a newly risen noble?

"That seems to be him!"

I've heard many aristocratic families are inquiring whether he is married, and looking at him...

Could he possibly be the son-in-law living in the wife's home that the rumors speak of regarding the Southern Palace Maiden?

Both of their appearances are astonishingly outstanding—what exactly is their background?

No notable background; all we know is that they moved here from the frontier.

It's too incredible—within just a few months, one has made the tavern thrive, while the other has already become a favored minister of His Majesty.

From now on, the Southern Palace Maiden's status will rise with the tide; she will no longer be merely a merchant's wife.

Someone jeered unkindly: "That's not certain. After all, the Southern Palace Maiden is merely a merchant's daughter; would this Cavalry General really be willing to remain only a son-in-law living in her home?"

Just wait—divorcing the Southern Palace Maiden will surely happen sooner or later. No matter how beautiful she is, what can that do?

Her background is too lowly to be presented; she cannot offer this general any further aid, and will only drag down his reputation in the future.

Their separation, like the parting of swallows, is surely an already destined outcome.

Upon saying this, everyone nodded in agreement.

It seemed as if they had already stamped their approval, labeling this Li Wu as a faithless man.

With overly sharp hearing, I was forced to hear the entire thing called a "faithless man": ……