My Taoist buddy has practiced surrogacy

Chapter 1173 Silence
The moonlight was like water, sprinkling in the quiet courtyard of the palace. Zhou Xing sat alone in the study, the brush in his hand heavily scratched the rice paper, but he could not condense a complete sentence. Ever since the sudden illness took away his ability to move, his life fell into endless darkness. The power of the past passed away like flowing water, and the court officials who once surrounded him now turned to others.

The night wind blew, bringing with it waves of chill, but Zhou Xing's heart was burning. He was unwilling to be forgotten, and even more unwilling to become a useless person in the eyes of others. His eyes were firm and deep, as if he could penetrate the dark night and see the woman who broke his heart - Ling Xue.

Ling Xue, the daughter of the Minister of Rites, was once his fiancée, but she chose to break off the engagement when he was at his most vulnerable. That cold letter pierced his heart like an arrow. Zhou Xing held the letter tightly, his fingertips turning white, his heart filled with anger and unwillingness.

"How can I, Zhou Xing, be a mere idler?" He said to himself, his voice deep and powerful. He knew that if he wanted to regain everything he had lost, he had to stand up and let everyone see his strength.

At this moment, there were light footsteps outside the door. It was his loyal guard Xiao Li. Xiao Li's face was worried, but more of a firm trust: "My Lord, are you okay?"

Zhou Xing raised his head, his eyes were as bright as torches: "I'm fine, better than ever." His voice revealed an unquestionable determination. He knew that this was the starting point of his rebirth and the beginning of his road to revenge.

The spring breeze blew through the streets and alleys of the capital, bringing a hint of warmth, but it could not blow away the frost in Zhou Xing's heart. He sat in a wheelchair, his eyes passed through the blooming flowers outside the window and stopped on a faded letter. It was a letter of withdrawal from the engagement sent by Ling Xue, the handwriting was neat and indifferent, and every word was like a sharp knife, cutting his heart.

"Your Majesty, this is today's newspaper." Xiao Li interrupted Zhou Xing's contemplation and handed him a scroll. Zhou Xing took the newspaper, and the anger in his eyes seemed to set the paper on fire. The newspaper was full of ridicule and pity for his disability, and many people had already begun to speculate who would be the next regent.

Zhou Xing's hands tightly grasped the newspaper, his knuckles turning white from excessive force. His heart was filled with resentment towards Ling Xue, who had dealt him a fatal blow at his lowest point. He could not forget that the woman who had once gently nestled in his arms had now become his greatest enemy.

"Prince, you must take care of yourself." Xiao Li said with concern. He has followed Zhou Xing for many years and knows his master's pride and strength.

Zhou Xing took a deep breath and slowly put down the newspaper. His voice was calm and firm: "Xiao Li, prepare the horse. I have someone to meet."

Xiao Li was stunned for a moment, then he understood Zhou Xing's intention and quickly responded to prepare. Zhou Xing's eyes flashed with determination. He wanted to find Ling Xue in person, let her see with her own eyes that he did not fall down, he wanted to let her know how wrong her choice was.

As the sound of the wheels rolling faded away, Zhou Xing silently swore in his heart that no matter how much it cost, he would stand up again and take back everything that belonged to him, including dignity and power. And the starting point of all this was Ling Xue.

The chirping of cicadas in the summer night accompanied the hot air, but Zhou Xing's mansion was busy. Since the confrontation with Ling Xue, he seemed to have stimulated his hidden strength and began the difficult rehabilitation training. Sweat soaked his clothes, and every attempt to stand was a challenge to the limit of his body, but he never thought of giving up.

"Your Highness, you have persisted for a long time. It's time to rest." Xiao Li stood nearby, looking at Zhou Xing's staggering figure worriedly.

Zhou Xing was breathing heavily, with veins on his forehead bulging. He shook his head: "No, I can't stop yet." Although his voice was a little hoarse, it was full of unshakable determination.

With such efforts day after day, Zhou Xing's legs gradually regained sensation. Although he still couldn't walk normally, he was able to move slowly with the help of crutches. This change not only gave him hope, but also silenced all those who doubted him.

At the same time, Zhou Xing began to secretly contact his old subordinates and plan his return to politics. He summoned his trusted staff at night, and they sat together in the flickering candlelight, discussing every possible strategy and countermeasure in a low voice.

"We must act carefully and not let anyone detect our intentions." Zhou Xing's eyes swept across everyone's face, his voice steady and powerful.

"Your Highness is wise. We will do our best." An aide responded respectfully.

As time went by, Zhou Xing's power grew quietly, and his wisdom and skills were proven again. He knew that this was just the beginning, and the real challenge had just arrived. He wanted to use his actions to tell everyone that Regent Zhou Xing had never really left.

As autumn deepened, fallen leaves covered the path leading to the palace. Zhou Xing stood outside the palace, took a deep breath of cool air, and straightened his robes. Today, he would attend a crucial court meeting. This was his first public appearance since his comeback, and it was also the moment for him to show everyone his strength.

In the court, civil and military officials stood solemnly on both sides, and the atmosphere was solemn. The emperor sat high on the dragon throne, his eyes patrolling among the ministers. Zhou Xing walked slowly into the hall, each step seemed steady and powerful. His appearance caused a slight commotion, and all eyes were focused on him.

"Your Majesty, I, Zhou Xing, pay my respects to you." Zhou Xing knelt down and saluted, his voice clearly heard throughout the hall.

The emperor nodded slightly: "My dear Minister Zhou, please stand up." There was a hint of inquiry and testing in his tone.

Zhou Xing stood up and looked straight ahead. He knew that his performance at this moment would determine his position in the court. In the following dialogue and debate, Zhou Xing showed his extraordinary wisdom and eloquence. Every answer was precise and sharp, which made people admire his talent.

However, just as the court meeting reached its climax, Ling Xue's father, the Minister of Rites, stood up with a challenging look in his eyes: "Prince Zhou, the court is busy with affairs. I wonder if you are willing to share the worries of the country?"

Zhou Xing smiled slightly. He knew that this was Ling Xue's father trying to test his bottom line. He responded calmly: "Your Excellency Shangshu is right. Although I am not talented, I hope to do my best to serve the country."

After a verbal confrontation, Zhou Xing not only defuses the opponent's provocation, but also wins the support and respect of most officials present. After the court meeting, many people came to congratulate him on his return, but Zhou Xing knew in his heart that this was just the beginning of the power struggle, and the real contest was still to come.

The cold winter wind blew away the atmosphere of fireworks in the palace. Zhou Xing stood in front of the window of the study, looking at the ancient trees covered with snow in the courtyard, but his heart was in turmoil. Since his performance at the court meeting, his position has become increasingly stable, but Ling Xue's shadow is always lingering.

One night, the moonlight sprinkled in the quiet courtyard like water, and Zhou Xing was walking alone. Suddenly, a figure appeared in his sight - it was Ling Xue. She was wearing a long gauze dress, like the brightest star in the night sky, standing there quietly.

Their eyes met in the air, and there was an indescribable emotion in the air. Zhou Xing's pace involuntarily quickened a bit until he stood in front of her.

"What are you doing here?" Zhou Xing's voice was low and complicated.

Ling Xue gently raised her head, with indescribable affection in her eyes: "I'm here to apologize to you and explain the misunderstandings in the past."

Zhou Xing sneered: "Misunderstanding? Wasn't your original choice because you disliked me for being a useless person?"

Ling Xue's eyes flashed with pain: "It's not like that, I was..." She hesitated, as if she had something to hide. Zhou Xing didn't want to listen anymore, and turned to leave: "Let the past be the past."

Ling Xue suddenly grabbed his hand and said, "No, I can't let you misunderstand me like this. The reason I broke off the engagement is because I learned a big secret about you."

Zhou Xing stopped and looked back at her: "What secret?"

Ling Xue took a deep breath: "Your mother did not die of illness, but was poisoned. I have been looking for evidence to help you find the real culprit."

These words hit Zhou Xing's heart like a bolt from the blue. He stood there in shock, looking at Ling Xue in disbelief. It turned out that there was such a shocking truth behind all this. A complex emotion surged in his heart - gratitude to Ling Xue? Or guilt for misunderstanding her? At this moment, the mixed emotions of love and hate made it difficult for him to control himself.

As spring came and everything came back to life, Zhou Xing's study was shrouded in a heavy haze. He sat at his desk, playing with a jade pendant in his hand - it was his mother's favorite item when she was alive. Ling Xue's words were like a heavy bomb that exploded in his heart, making him unable to calm down for a long time.

After some investigation and evidence collection, Zhou Xing finally discovered the secret that had been hidden for many years. It turned out that his mother's death was not an accident, but a carefully planned murder. The murderer turned out to be a minister whom he had always regarded as a confidant - he would do anything to fight for power.

"Your Highness, this is the final evidence." Xiao Li handed Zhou Xing a document that recorded the minister's crimes.

Zhou Xing took the document, a cold light flashed in his eyes: "Are you ready? We want justice for our mother."

At a court meeting not long after, Zhou Xing exposed the minister's crimes in front of everyone. There was an uproar in the court, and everyone was shocked that this usually gentle minister could have such a vicious side.

Faced with irrefutable evidence, the minister could not deny it and had to plead guilty in public. The emperor was furious and dismissed him from his post and investigated him. While justice was served, Zhou Xing also won the respect and support of more people because of this incident.

Afterwards, Zhou Xing found Ling Xue: "It's you who has been helping me secretly." His tone was filled with gratitude and apology.

Ling Xue smiled and shook her head: "I just did what I thought was right." Her eyes were clear and firm.

The misunderstanding between the two was finally cleared up. Zhou Xing realized that his previous prejudice and misunderstanding of Ling Xue were due to his own stubbornness and distrust. Their relationship was thus repaired and developed. Zhou Xing also became more mature and stable because of this incident, and became a true leader.

"It seems that the general has also taken action on the situation." Ling Xue thought to herself, and continued to inquire about the news calmly.

At midnight, Ling Xue walked through the deep alleys and came to an abandoned temple. According to her intelligence, this might be a secret base for planning a rebellion. She sneaked in quietly and found some suspicious documents and marks.

"These markings look like a harbinger of military action." As she was flipping through the documents, she heard footsteps approaching and quickly hid in the shadows.

Two men in black walked into the temple, one of whom was Zhou Xing's trusted deputy general. They did not notice Ling Xue's presence and began to discuss the specific actions of the rebellion plan.

"The general has already led his troops to set off. We must also speed up the process and try to control the imperial capital before he returns." One of them whispered.

Ling Xue held her breath, secretly shocked. Zhou Xing was also involved in the rebellion? She decided to keep a low profile and observe further, looking for more solid evidence.

Meanwhile, Zhou Xing camped outside the city, full of doubts. According to intelligence, the changes in the palace seemed to be more than just the emperor's disappearance, but a deeper conspiracy. He decided to send his most trusted confidant to investigate secretly.

"There must be a force in the dark controlling all of this. I must clear the fog and see the truth." He said firmly in his heart.

A few days later, Zhou Xing's confidant sent him news that confirmed his guess: there was indeed a small group of forces trying to take advantage of the situation and control the imperial capital. What shocked him even more was that there was evidence that Ling Xue might also be involved.

"What is going on? Could it be that she is not as simple as she seems?" Zhou Xing began to feel doubts and suspicions.

Zhou Xing decided to return to the imperial capital in person to meet Ling Xue and find out the truth. After several days of traveling, he finally arrived at the imperial capital, and the situation was already on the verge of collapse.

Ling Xue returned to the palace and found that everything seemed normal, but the struggle behind the scenes was getting more intense. She used her wisdom and courage to successfully obtain several key documents and gradually uncovered the secrets behind the rebellion.

When she was about to make the evidence public, Zhou Xing suddenly appeared at the door of her room. The two looked at each other, and after a brief moment of surprise, Ling Xue immediately understood the identity of the visitor.

"Are you here for this rebellion as well?" Ling Xue asked calmly.

"I'm here to find the truth." Zhou Xing nodded slightly to show his sincerity. He said, "I believe you are not the mastermind. We need to cooperate."

Under the urgent situation, the two decided to temporarily put aside their suspicions and face the crisis together. They sorted out all the clues and found that the real mastermind of the rebellion was actually a high-ranking minister in the court, who attempted to take advantage of the emperor's disappearance to seize power and usurp the throne.

"We must stop him immediately!" Ling Xue said firmly.

Zhou Xing nodded and quickly formulated an action plan. They led an elite force to sneak into the minister's mansion, arrested him and escorted him to the palace.

Faced with overwhelming evidence, the rebels had no choice but to plead guilty. The situation in the imperial capital finally calmed down and the court returned to stability.

At the post-war celebration banquet, Zhou Xing and Ling Xue met again, and the misunderstanding between them was completely eliminated.