Sheng Fu

Yuwen Jun's eyes flashed with a bloodthirsty light as he stared intently at Ji Jian, Yang Yu, and the others.

The emperor shakily descended from the throne. Upon seeing this, the courtiers hurriedly dispersed. The emperor arrived at the center of the hall, looked around, and tears of blood welled up in his eyes. Long ago, he had guessed that Qiu Qing intended to prove his loyalty by dying, but now, with the prime minister bidding farewell in this way, the emperor suddenly lost his balance and his body trembled.

He reached out and channeled his Ziwei True Essence to its limit, attempting to reunite Qiu Qing's flesh and blood. Unfortunately, his trusted Prime Minister had already been completely destroyed, body and soul.

Roar!
A furious roar resounded, causing the main hall to shake violently and the entire palace to tremble violently.

Many of the civil and military officials present were unable to withstand the terrifying pressure and died on the spot.

Imperial Advisor Li Hongshan hurried to His Majesty's side, took his arm, and said with great sorrow, "Your Majesty, please accept my condolences. The Prime Minister's mind is made up. We who are still alive should take it as our duty to fulfill the Prime Minister's aspirations."

The Emperor's mind was like a raging, untamed horse, his eyes bloodshot.

Memories of the past flood my mind.

That humble, arrogant, and incorruptible old man has actually passed away.

After an unknown amount of time, the emperor looked around at the mess on the ground and at the kneeling ministers, a murderous aura emanating from him.

"Issue the imperial decree: a state funeral for the Prime Minister!" the Emperor said through gritted teeth.

Bai Xiaowei quickly replied, "Your subject obeys the decree!"

With a wave of his sleeve, the Emperor instantly killed Wang Heng, and roared in fury, "Dismiss the court!"

With this, the new policy was finally implemented.

The courtiers left the Golden Palace in fear and unease.

Yuwen Jun, Pu Weiqing, and Jing Peiyao walked slowly. Before anyone knew it, Yuwen Jun had grasped the Monarch's Blade, and Jing Peiyao had grasped the Flowing Snow.

Seeing this, Pu Weiqing forced back the tears welling up in his eyes and said with extreme restraint, "Even if it is murder, it should not be done now."

Yuwen Jun's chaotic imperial aura surged and churned, and out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Yang Yu and Ji Jian not far away.

Suddenly, Yuwen Jun stopped and stared at the group, saying firmly, "Gentlemen, go back and enjoy yourselves for a few days. In a few days, I will come and take your heads."

Ji Jian frowned slightly, then gave a disdainful sneer and ignored him.

Yang Yu, Han Jing, and the others were in the same situation.

Young people really can't keep their composure.

Pu Weiqing patted Yuwen Jun on the shoulder, hinting, "Let's go, let's go to his house and take a look."

Yuwen Jun then regained his composure, quickened his pace, and hurried toward the Prime Minister's residence.

Under the bright red sun and without a cloud in the sky, the magnificent capital city was somehow tinged with a delicate blush of red.

Prime Minister's House.

Returning to the familiar place, Yuwen Jun's thoughts were like sparks, sweeping over endless sorrow.

Upon seeing the somber expressions on their faces, the elderly steward sensed something was terribly wrong. His lips trembled, and he weakly murmured, "My lord..."

Yuwen Jun nodded calmly.

The elderly official suddenly felt his legs go numb and collapsed to the ground.

Upon seeing this, Pu Weiqing immediately bent down and injected a stream of pure true energy into the steward to keep him as conscious as possible.

"This morning, before the Prime Minister set off, he left this for me, specifically asking me to deliver it to Young Master Yuwen. I was puzzled. If it's an important official document, why would he specifically ask me to pass it on to Young Master Yuwen? Wouldn't it be more convenient for the Prime Minister to personally hand it over? I blame my dullness for not realizing it in time." The old steward took out a document from his bosom and handed it to Yuwen Jun with trembling hands.

Yuwen Jun took the memorial but did not open it. Instead, she closed her eyes and wept uncontrollably.

Despite all my efforts, I still couldn't keep the Prime Minister.

Suddenly, Yuwen Jun opened his eyes and looked at the Taoist temple in the northwest corner of the Prime Minister's residence. There was a young man of seventeen or eighteen years old who was meditating and cultivating, sensing the flow of true energy in his body. His cultivation level was only in the middle stage of the initial stage.

"Who is that person?" Yuwen Jun asked the old steward in a deep voice.

"He is the Prime Minister's last disciple, named Li Qiu, from Qiushui County. He is an orphan, but unfortunately, he has only been cultivating for less than half a year," the old steward said, tears streaming down his face.

Yuwen Jun reached out his hand, and a gentle force instantly fell on Li Qiu, who was still sitting cross-legged in meditation. A moment later, Li Qiu was pulled in front of Yuwen Jun.

Upon suddenly seeing the three unfamiliar people, Li Qiu looked confused, but when she saw the tear stains in the corners of their eyes, she immediately realized what was going on.

"Master?" Li Qiu asked the butler in disbelief.

Yuwen Jun coughed slightly, forcibly calming his mind, and said in a deep voice, "The Prime Minister has no heir. Since you are his last disciple, it is you who should wear mourning clothes."

"I am Yuwen Jun, and the person beside me is Pu Weiqing, the dean of Bailu Academy, and my wife Jing Peiyao."

"From now on, we can call each other brothers."

Li Qiu felt a lump in her throat, her face flushed red, and she loudly questioned, "You all possess unparalleled cultivation, so why couldn't you protect my master?"

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Jun, Pu Weiqing, and Jing Peiyao felt as if their hearts were being torn apart, and they dared not look directly into the young man's eyes, which were filled with grief and indignation.

"I'm sorry..." Yuwen Jun lowered his head, feeling deeply apologetic.

Pu Weiqing steadied himself and patted Li Qiu on the shoulder, saying, "Go quickly and sort through your master's belongings. Your master has perished in both body and spirit, so only his clothes and hat can be buried with him."

At this point, Pu Weiqing's throat tightened, and a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

The old steward quickly stood up, pulled Li Qiu, and said with a forced smile, "Let's go, let's make the Prime Minister's last journey as dignified as possible."

Li Qiu's mind was filled with confusion and panic. Like a walking corpse, she was dragged into the house by the old butler. She had just thought she had a home, a very, very good master, but her master left without saying goodbye.

Am I truly a cursed star, bringing death to my family and now even to my master...?

Suddenly, Yuwen Jun turned around and saw that Li Hongshan, Bai Xiaowei, and Xie Yiming had arrived. Gu Yue and Shen Jun were carrying a coffin inlaid with seven star stones.

"Wait a moment. Li Qiu is wearing mourning clothes and sorting through his belongings. Li Qiu was the Prime Minister's last disciple," Yuwen Jun said weakly to the group.

Li Hongshan, Bai Xiaowei, and Xie Yiming were lost in thought, their minds wandering aimlessly.

……

As night fell, the Milky Way shone brightly.

The entire human race was plunged into deep sorrow.

That night, regardless of where they were from, whether in bustling cities or remote mountain villages, whether they were elderly or innocent children, they all came to the crossroads, lit bonfires, burned paper money, and wept endlessly.

……

The third day, early morning.

Li Qiu, dressed in mourning clothes, was carried by Yuwen Jun, Pu Weiqing, Bai Xiaowei, and Xie Yiming. They set off from the main gate of the Prime Minister's residence towards the Ziwei Cemetery.

The officials attended the funeral, while the common people kowtowed and wept.

Ziwei Mausoleum is an imperial mausoleum.

Those who are given a state funeral are naturally buried in the imperial mausoleum.

The mausoleum is located on the northern slope of the capital, built against the mountain, with rows of pine and cypress trees lining both sides of the spirit path.

Upon entering the mausoleum, the pale-faced emperor approached the coffin, gently stroked it, gazed at the mysterious and deep entrance, and murmured softly, "Goodbye, old friend."

Li Qiu knelt alone outside the cemetery, performing the rites of human relations and burning incense in remembrance.

Many things offer choices, but Qiu Qing left herself no room for maneuver.

The chanting was long and drawn out, each note like a sharp dagger piercing the hearts of countless people.

……

After the state funeral, the streets and alleys of the capital remained as deserted and quiet as they had been the previous two days, a far cry from its former bustling state.

Outside the cemetery, Yuwen Jun, Pu Weiqing, Jing Peiyao, Li Qiu, and the old steward sat together, tending to the burning bonfire.

"Actually, you should know in your heart that we will support you at all costs in the future. Perhaps you are confused right now and have no mind to think about the so-called future."

“But once you’ve calmed down, you can make any request to us. As long as we can do it, we will do it. You are his only successor. We want to see you grow into a capable person, and we want to see you become the Prime Minister many years later. You should understand our expectations for you.” Yuwen Jun said slowly, looking at Li Qiu’s melancholy and haggard profile.

Li Qiu's eyes were empty, and he ignored Yuwen Jun.

The bonfire burned, and the blue smoke rose straight up to the ninth heaven.

Yuwen Jun already knew about Li Qiu's life, but in fact he didn't need to. How could the young man favored by the Prime Minister be anything but ordinary?

Yuwen Jun continued, "You must pull yourself together. The Prime Minister chose you, which is also a choice made for yourself back then."

"Do not get stuck in grief and not move on."

"Young people should spread their wings and soar high, traversing thousands of miles."

"In our hearts, you will be the Prime Minister many years from now."

Despite all that was said, Li Qiu still did not respond.

Pu Weiqing subconsciously placed his hand on Yuwen Jun's shoulder, and Yuwen Jun understood and remained silent.

After an unknown amount of time, Li Qiu finally replied in an extremely weary voice, "I understand what you mean, but at this moment, I have no ambition, no ideals."

"All I know is that my beloved master is dead."

"Sorry…"

"Excuse my current incoherence..."

Yuwen Jun really wanted to tell Li Qiu that many things in life are irreversible, and many times in life, there is no time to be sad, and we have to keep going because the journey is still very long.

The path that Qiu Qing couldn't finish, Li Qiu must continue to walk.

But clearly, Li Qiu wouldn't listen to any of this. He was a poor child who had met a wonderful teacher who taught him about knowledge and principles, guided him in his spiritual practice, and enabled him to have enough to eat.

For a young man who is inexperienced in the ways of the world, suddenly being faced with a multitude of emotions and ideals is obviously overwhelming.

The campfire was still burning.

Li Qiu's hard work was like lamp oil being burned and suffering.

Before we knew it, night had crept in from all directions.

The sky above the Ziwei Cemetery was the first to be shrouded in night. Stars twinkled in the sky, and faintly, the faces of the deceased appeared in the celestial canopy.

Suddenly, a tiny flame appeared in the night sky, followed by countless tiny flames. Then, the sky above the vast land of humanity was illuminated by the flames, shining brightly and reflecting on the boundless territory. That night, all the people of humanity offered sacrifices to the heavenly lamps.

Your Excellency, please take care... (End of Chapter)