Shaojun riding the sea

Chapter 209 One Day Bride

The wind swept across the sky, the setting sun filled the sky, and the endless sea was sparkling, as beautiful as a picture scroll. There was peace and tranquility between heaven and earth, with only the clear singing of birds, like a beautiful song.

The sunset at sea is the most beautiful. When Yue Wujiu opened his eyes, a ray of sunlight happened to shine through the window onto his handsome face. The boy's thick and long eyelashes trembled. He was a little dazed for a moment, thinking that he was still in a dream.

It was not until he heard the ethereal sound of a bell that he turned his head and saw the elegant figure guarding him by the bed that he came to his senses and asked in a hoarse voice:

"Xuan, Xuan Ling, is this... on the sea?"

The bright sunset glowed between the girl's eyebrows. Her pretty face was half bright and half dark under the window. She just nodded to Yue Wujiu and said softly, "Yes, we are on the ship. Do you hear the wind outside? We are going back to Yunzhou Island, back to our own home..."

"Go back to Yunzhou Island?" Yue Wujiu's breathing trembled, and he tried hard to sit up, but his whole body was weak and powerless. He could not move at all. He could only ask anxiously: "When, when did we leave the imperial city? I still have very important things to do. I still have to go to the palace and see my mother. I have to ask clearly..."

"I went to see Princess Zhaoyin for you."

As if she was not surprised by Yue Wujiu's reaction, Shi Xuanling simply said softly, "I know what you are going to do, but you can't do it. You must never set foot in the imperial city again in your life, never meet Emperor Yun, and don't ask that question. You must let go of everything and live well. This is also what your mother...Princess Zhaoyin meant."

Yes, during the time when Yue Wujiu was recovering from his injuries, he was sometimes unconscious and sometimes awake. The burning obsession in his heart supported him. He couldn't let it go. He told Shi Xuanling the truth about the extermination of the Yue family in bits and pieces.

It turns out that the real person behind the demise of the Yue family was not Lan Yubai, not the Pacification Office, nor the Queen Wei family. They were all just people fanning the flames. The real person behind the demise was actually... his own uncle.

Many things that were incomprehensible in the past now have explanations. Even if he is unwilling to believe this cruel truth, Yue Wujiu can no longer deceive himself.

No wonder every time he mentioned the overturning of the verdict in front of the emperor, his uncle who loved him the most would fly into a rage, reprimand him in every way, and tell him never to mention the Yue family case again. Now he finally understood the reason.

"When you told me this earth-shattering truth, my first reaction was to think of what Zhizhi and Little Shark had said to me. It turns out they... were right."

When they were on Yunzhou Island, Zhizhi once said to Shi Xuanling: "The Pacification Office is just a knife in the hand of your majesty. It is up to your majesty to decide who to swing the knife at. When the emperor is angry, millions of people will die. It has always been like this."

Little Shark had said the same thing to her when they had just returned to the Imperial City: "Why should he be forced to do so? Isn't it the old emperor who has the final say? If he really cared about their old friendship, he could have thought of a hundred ways to save the Yue family instead of just here caring for the only remaining orphan in the Yue family to make himself feel better."

The sea breeze was hitting the window frame. Shi Xuanling stretched out a hand and gently stroked Yue Wujiu's cheek. He had been seriously injured and had lost a lot of weight. His face was still a little pale, but the determination and stubbornness in his eyes had not diminished in the slightest.

This is also what Shi Xuanling fears the most.

"They see everything clearly, but you are caught in the middle of the situation, deceived by the false appearance of warmth. You have never doubted your uncle who loves you the most, nor have you doubted the 'wise and holy ruler' you admire in your heart. Now that you know the truth, you will definitely go to him to ask him clearly. What I fear most is that I can't stop you and let you... die in vain." The truth of the Yue family's extermination was cruelly torn open and laid out before his eyes. The enemy that Yue Wujiu had been searching for was in the palace, sitting high on the dragon throne. He was heartbroken and often talked in his sleep while recuperating. He had to go to the palace and get an answer in person, even though he knew that he would offend the emperor and even die tragically in the palace, he still did not hesitate. How could such a strong young man suppress the boiling blood in his chest? Even if he died, he would seek justice for the Yue family!
It was Yue Wujiu's crazy obsession that scared Shi Xuanling into a cold sweat. She knew that he was capable of doing this!
If there was only one person in the world who dared to confront the old emperor, it would be this wild and stubborn mountain cat.

Shi Xuanling shuddered at the thought of the sharp cat claws scratching Emperor Yun and causing a terrifying dragon roar. She was afraid that her little gray cat would fail to slay the dragon and be torn into pieces by five horses, leaving not even a single hair of the cat.

So, under the pretext of recuperating Princess Zhaoyin's health and delivering medicine to detoxify her, she climbed up the pagoda again and told Princess Zhaoyin everything.

She wanted to do something, something that required discussing it with Princess Zhaoyin and getting her consent. Fortunately, the princess reached a consensus with her. After all, they both loved the same person in their hearts, and they tried their best just to let him... live well.

"Ayue, the emperor's heart is hard to predict. You can't gamble. Emperor Yun may still feel a little guilty about you and still recognize you as his nephew and is willing to spare your life. But if you expose everything, there will be no room for maneuver. He will be furious and murderous. All the false appearances of warmth on the surface will be completely shattered. Do you think you can still... walk out of the palace alive by then?"

The waves rolled in wave after wave, and the wind carried a bitter, salty and fishy smell, just like Yue Wujiu's heart at this moment. He lay on his back on the bed, listening to Shi Xuanling's words full of sighs. He wanted to struggle to get up but was too weak to move. He could only grit his teeth, with red eyes, and let the warm tears flow across his eyes and silently soak into the pillow.

He was in so much pain, yet so unwilling: "I don't want to, I don't want to go back to Yunzhou Island, I don't want to live in this world pretending to be deaf and dumb, send me back, send me back to the Imperial City, please..."

The young man's hoarse voice echoed in the cabin, sounding so desperate and sorrowful that Shi Xuanling could not bear to listen or look at it. With red eyes, she quickly took out something from her arms and stuffed it into Yue Wujiu's mouth.

Yue Wujiu's voice stopped abruptly, and a strange floral fragrance wafted into his nose. He felt something melting between his lips and teeth, icy and cold, with a bitter taste of herbs.

"You feed me...what are you feeding me?"

Shi Xuanling shook her head without answering. Her fair hand gently covered the boy's lips. The strange floral scent lingered between them. Tears flashed in her eyes as she murmured to herself, "Ayue, take a nap. Don't think about anything. Everything will be fine when you wake up..."

Yue Wujiu's vision gradually became blurred, and the moment he closed his eyes, a tear fell between his brows. His heart trembled, but he could no longer respond and could only fall into endless darkness.

It was unknown how long the ship had been sailing. In the following days, Yue Wujiu was always surrounded by a strange floral scent. He was groggy, as if he was in a dream from which he could not wake up, and he could not tell what day it was.

Until one day, Shi Xuanling's faint voice sounded in his ears again. He opened his eyes vaguely and saw her sitting beside the bed. She was wearing a beautiful wedding dress. Her whole body was shining, like the most dazzling glow on the sea.

Yue Wujiu was shocked and recognized it almost at first sight. This was the precious Qimeng wedding dress. Shi Xuanling had worn it and they had worshipped heaven and earth in the mountains, facing the wind, the moon and the sky, and married each other under the witness of fireflies all over the wall.

But why did Shi Xuanling wear this wedding dress again today? What was she going to do?
Yue Wujiu's throat moved, but before he could ask, Shi Xuanling had already slowly helped him up and pushed open the window. The golden sunset over the sea suddenly poured in, enveloping their entire bodies.

"Ayue, the ship is about to reach the end of the sea. I will be your bride for another day and watch the sunset over the sea with you, okay?"