Chapter 687: Side Story: All Myriad Rivers and Mountains Lie Beneath My Feet 01

Longshi sixteenth year.

The whole continent was peaceful and tranquil.

Duyue ushered in a scene of prosperity.

The troops were strong and the horses sturdy; the people lived in peace and prosperity.

The nation's fortune flourished.

The people of Duyue grew increasingly prosperous, and the nation's pool of usable talent also grew ever larger.

Moreover, Duyue now not only began trade and intercourse with foreign lands, but many small states of the Western Regions also began to proactively bow and submit.

After Duyue grew increasingly prosperous, it also began to drive the many small states of the Western Regions toward true civilization.

They accepted Central Plains Confucian culture and imparted agricultural and weaving techniques.

Both sides gradually became friendly and peaceful, no longer needing war or marriage alliances to achieve ethnic integration.

However, Duyue's military strength continued to grow.

The formidable border garrisons dared not provoke even the slightest friction.

Seeing that the world had finally become as he and the empress wished, the Longshi Emperor suddenly announced to the world his decision to henceforth retire as the Retired Emperor.

And to abdicate his throne in favor of the crown prince, who was only just shy of twelve years old.

How could the young emperor possibly guard this myriad‑li brocade of rivers and mountains?

How could he possibly hold onto this hard‑won peace of the realm?

All the people of the realm panicked.

They all wished they could rush to the palace gates and weep bitterly, hoping thereby to dissuade the Longshi Emperor from his resolve to step down.

However, the Longshi Emperor gave the world no chance to react; even the court officials learned of this news very suddenly.

The Longshi Emperor tossed aside the imperial edict, patted his buttocks, and fled with his empress.

The officials ran to the inner palace to seize someone.

The entire inner palace was empty and deserted.

Not to mention the Longshi Emperor and empress, even Princess Qingwu had vanished without a trace!

Only the twelve‑year‑old young emperor sat alone upon the throne, awaiting them.

"Grand Tutors, do you all not trust me?"

The young emperor asked sincerely.

Yet the imperial aura emanating from him already bore a hint of the Longshi Emperor.

Now several powerful ministers at court are the young emperor's Grand Tutors.

Since he was made crown prince, they have begun intensively imparting to him the arts of kingship, the way of the emperor, and various skills.

Originally, those few Grand Tutors were still puzzled, and in private they speculated about the sovereign's mind: Your Majesty made us all Grand Tutors to the crown prince—could it be to test our true abilities? Or perhaps to make us all confidants of the crown prince?

After all, His Majesty has few other heirs.

Is this meant to concentrate power in the crown prince alone?

But to establish a crown prince faction so early—does His Majesty really not worry?

Several Grand Tutors are still secretly vying, each hoping to become the most capable Grand Tutor before the crown prince in one fell swoop.

Only now do they realize they have all been played by His Majesty!!

Your Majesty, don't even mention worrying about establishing a crown prince faction—he basically wishes all the senior officials at court would become the crown prince's people sooner, oh no, that they would all recognize the young emperor as the lord of the realm sooner!

Your Majesty, your heart is truly ruthless.

After such hard‑won peace in the realm, can't they just be leisurely officials for a few years?

Now they must again assist the young emperor in governing the realm—this will exhaust them all to death!

The officials, tears and snot streaming, accepted reality and assisted the young emperor in taking charge of the myriad‑li rivers and mountains.

That year, the Longshi Emperor, in his prime, withdrew from the former court and became the behind‑the‑scenes Retired Emperor of Duyue.

Henceforth, few could still find trace of the Longshi Retired Emperor and empress.

His rule ended at the outset of Duyue's prosperous age.

The nearly twelve‑year‑old young emperor Duan Jingzhi proclaimed to the world, whenceforth Duyue's era name became Taichu.

From then on, Duyue embarked on the sixty‑year reign of the Taichu Emperor.

Under the Taichu Emperor's rule, and based on the comprehensive policies and laws that the Longshi Emperor and empress had begun to formulate, the Taichu Emperor governed Duyue to an unprecedented peak of prosperity.

Later generations called it the Taichu Prosperous Age.

Taichu Year One.

Just half a month after leaving Jinling, Li Qingluo still had no real sense of it.

Only when she and Duan Rongshi rode horseback to a waterfall pool in the wilds, staying a few days in a thatched hut beside it, did Li Qingluo vaguely feel something.

"Ah Shi, did we really abandon Ah Yuan and just run away like this?"

Not only did we abandon Ah Yuan, we abandoned the whole world!

Moreover, this time, as the couple quietly departed Jinling, no one else accompanied them at their side.

Even the swords, Li Qingluo left them all to Ah Yuan.

From now on, will they truly begin their days of traveling the rivers and mountains as a pair?

Is this the freedom I dreamed of, actually realized just like this?

Even though she is over thirty, Li Qingluo shows not a trace of time's passage on her.

That face remains beautiful enough to move the heart and soul.

Although she now possesses a graceful poise that adds a touch of mature woman's charm, and her gestures are ever more steady and serene, the liveliness in her bearing has not diminished a bit from her youth.

She gazed with eyes full of admiration at the handsome young gentleman before her.

The emperor who once possessed a beauty that could topple a city, his looks were merely his least noteworthy virtue.

The realm he conquered with one hand and the golden age he forged with the other, he just abandons them like that… Does he truly have no regrets?

All these years, he left the entire harem vacant and, with her, raised two children as an ordinary couple would.

The two of them, hand in hand, have governed Great Yue to this day, and he suddenly says, "Luo'er, the time has come. Let's go."

How could Li Qingluo possibly know that he has always kept the oath he made to her back then?

And the person just ran away like that.

Leaving such a massive responsibility to the twelve‑year‑old A Yuan, Li Qingluo truly felt reluctant.

"Will A Yuan be scared?"

"He's only twelve; could he think we've abandoned him?"

"I don't even know if he can adapt… A Shi, I always feel we're being irresponsible. We should wait until A Yuan is older, can fully master state affairs before we leave."

Duan Rongshi reached out and pulled his beloved wife into his arms.

The spray from the waterfall drenched both of them, making them half‑wet in an instant.

All these years, in order to settle state affairs as quickly as possible, Duan Rongshi seldom accompanied her like this.

He felt immense guilt, so he was unwilling to wait any longer, not even a day.

"Luo'er, A Yuan is our bloodline."

"I know he's still young, but if he weren't already capable of handling things on his own, I wouldn't have the heart to leave."

"Do you think Zhang Tinggui and the others are all vegetarians?"

"With them around, and the things we left for A Yuan, he will grow into a worthy emperor."

A Yuan has been a good child since he was young.

From early childhood, Duan Rongshi taught A Yuan that this vast realm was meant to be inherited by his elder sister.

The throne belongs to his elder sister, and A Yuan belongs to his elder sister as well.

Only Duan Qingwu does not love the realm; he loves freedom even more.

Therefore, she rejected the status of imperial princess, and now she has already gone ahead of them, following her master to roam the jianghu.

What Duan Rongshi worries about even more is Duan Qingwu.

She is already sixteen years old.

Since she was eight, she has been a direct disciple under the Cangxuan Sect.

Now a princess traveling the jianghu, who knows how much hardship she'll endure.

However, Duan Qingwu still does not wish to marry, so Li Qingluo, as father‑emperor and mother‑empress, have not arranged a marriage for Duan Qingwu.

And now they only hope she does not fall in love with a wandering rogue, which would already be a great blessing.

Since becoming crown prince, A Yuan has studied the classics and the six arts even harder, yet he knows he bears the expectations of his father‑emperor, mother‑empress, and elder sister.

Thus, being crown prince also makes him more diligent and hardworking.

Fortunately, A Yuan is very clever.

He quickly displayed a remarkable, multifaceted talent in his studies, along with an innate composure.

Li Qingluo often thought that Fangfang was already very clever, and A Yuan seemed even more so.

He even concealed his true abilities so his sister would appear more impressive.

This child… not only is clever, but also exceptionally precocious.

Although he often shows a childlike innocence before me, Li Qingluo has indeed witnessed A Yuan's solemn side when she's absent.

Thinking of this, some of the anxiety in her heart eased.

"Then we should still find time now and then to visit A Yuan more often, okay?"

After all, Fangfang still has senior brothers and sisters to look after her there, and the son of Sha San and Que'er serves as a guard, so Li Qingluo isn't worried about safety.

The court is an even more bloodless battlefield that devours people.

Duan Rongshi patted Li Qingluo's head and said, "Alright, I'll follow your lead."

After speaking, he shed his outer robe and with a splash, leapt into the pool beneath the waterfall.

Li Qingluo, clad in a light short‑sleeved shirt and shorts, followed suit and jumped in right after.

When they grew tired, they frolicked in the shallow water.

It had been a long time since they felt so relaxed; moved by emotion, Duan Rongshi pressed Li Qingluo against a stone and kissed her passionately.

After their lingering embrace finally loosened, Duan Rongshi gently pressed his delicate wife's nose and asked, "Have you decided where to go next?"

Li Qingluo, weak and limp on his chest, traced circles with her fingers and said, "I want to see the rain of Jiangnan, the snow of the Northern Frontier, the lone smoke of the Great Desert, and the landscapes of the Southwest."

"A Shi, shall we travel from south to north?"

"Where we like, we'll stay there for a while longer."

"Then we can also go to Medicine King Valley to visit Grandmother and Grandfather!"

A few years ago, Pei Lao Furen and Luo Fan went to Medicine King Valley, and have since lived in seclusion there, never emerging again.

Li Qingluo holds them dearly in her heart, so she is determined to visit them.

She even counts on her fingers the people she needs to visit.

"Shall we go to Nan'an to see Leng Dian and Star Remote?"

"Passing through MiaoJiang, I want to visit senior sister. Also A Xiong and A Lan's daughter Zhi Wei; I wonder how that child is now."

"And Mandora City is a must‑visit. Po Feng and Nanping have four children; their lord's manor must be bustling."

Speaking of bustling places, Li Qingluo's eyes showed a hint of envy.

She has only given birth to a son and a daughter.

Later, no matter how much she wishes, Duan Rongshi will not consent to her bearing another child.

He even went to ask Luofan for male contraceptive pills.

He thought that, no matter how smooth the delivery, pregnancy is always arduous.

Moreover, Li Qingluo has already walked through the gates of Hell twice, and they already have children, so why endure unnecessary suffering?

He only wishes for her to peacefully accompany him to old age; this life is already enough.

"Do you like the hustle and bustle?"

He scooped her up from the pond and strode back.

"From now on, let Ayuan strive to bear more of his children."

Li Qingluo:?

Of course, she now wouldn't foolishly want any children.

After all, her free and unrestrained life has truly begun!