I, who disguised myself as a woman, turned out to be a queen! ?

Chapter 1231 Master

Chapter 1231 Master
Yan Qi was much older than Su Chang'an had imagined. According to Su Chang'an's understanding, she was only a little older than his master.

But Yan Qi was emaciated, his eyes were cloudy and dim, and it seemed as if a layer of gray film covered his eyeballs.

But the old man was extremely stubborn, staring wide-eyed as if that would make him look more energetic, and refused to be helped, walking step by step on his own.

Even from a distance, Su Chang'an could clearly hear that the old man's breathing was extremely heavy, as if it were being squeezed out from deep within his chest.

Su Chang'an watched Yan weep.

Yan Qi was also looking at Su Chang'an.

The laurel blossoms peeked over the wall.

Beneath the wall, Su Chang'an, dressed in white, stood there, the hem of his robe drooping. As the wind passed, his shadow brushed against the wall as he peeked at the osmanthus blossoms.

At first, the old man might not have seen clearly because he was far away, but after getting closer, he could see Su Chang'an clearly.
Yan Qi suddenly stopped and stared blankly at the white-clad figure, watching the wind blow the tips of his hair and the corners of his clothes.

That year, beneath the osmanthus tree, stood a refined scholar, gentle and refined, who softly asked a mischievous child, "Yanqi, slow down, be careful not to fall."

The old man's gray pupils suddenly brightened, and he seemed to tremble. He took larger and faster steps toward Su Chang'an, and his face gradually revealed excitement.

He became increasingly excited, and his pace quickened.

Before anyone knew it, the old man's eyes welled up with tears as he looked at the figure in white, his lips trembling as he seemed to be murmuring the word "Master" over and over again.

The younger generation, including Caiyunjian, who were following behind, wanted to catch up and help, but were stopped by Bai Danrong and several other elderly people.

The other elderly people stared blankly at Su Chang'an, then subconsciously said, "Palace Master."

The image of him, which I have never forgotten for decades, comes to mind.

In the past, their senior uncle or master, the Palace Master of Miaoyin Palace, was also like that, standing gently and elegantly, watching them from a distance as they loved to play in their childhood.

The same.

His appearance, demeanor, and the gentle, welcoming feeling he evoked.

Yan Qi only looked at the white figure. His long-term illness made him nothing more than an empty shell with the title of Grandmaster of the Limitless Realm. So even after running a few steps, he could feel his discomfort, but he still ran quickly toward the white figure.

Seeing the old man like this, Su Chang'an naturally went to greet him and quickly grabbed his hands to help him up, saying, "Uncle-Master, please take it easy."

The old man looked at the person in front of him with moist eyes.

"division"

As he got closer, he uttered a single word.

But when the old man reached Su Chang'an, he stared blankly at him.

Very similar, very similar.
but.
It's just like that.

No, Master.

The old man's eyes did not show any disappointment, but tears were already streaming down his face.

She is not her master, but her master's granddaughter, now the Empress of Great Xia, and a descendant of her master.

The old man seemed to suddenly regain his senses.

but.
The old man looked at the person's features, at the equally disheveled hair, and at those shimmering eyes.

The old man raised his withered hand, his lips trembling.

It was as if she could see the man who had appeared before her years ago again.

Before his master left, he asked him, "Yan Qi, if I told you I'd found you a mistress, would you be surprised?"

Yan Qi was young then and thought her master was joking, so she teased her master, "If that were the case, I'm afraid many people in the martial world would cry, especially Uncle Liu, who might lose his temper, and Uncle Xianyang would question you even more."

The master smiled gently, standing in the moonlight, and said softly, "If you all saw her, you wouldn't be able to get angry. Your mistress, she's someone whose smile warms your heart."

Yan Qi was taken aback.

The master continued, "She's a peasant girl who doesn't know martial arts, but she really wants to learn. However, she's just too slow to learn. She keeps telling me she's worried you'll look down on her if she sees you, and she's also afraid of embarrassing me."

Yan Qi realized her master was serious and quickly pressed, "Master, where is our mistress? We should go and pay our respects. How could we look down on her? She's our mistress. On the contrary, I'm worried we might frighten her."

The master chuckled softly. "Don't blame me for praising your mistress. She'll probably be quite nervous when she sees you, but if she sees your martial arts injuries, she'll rush over to ask if it hurts, how she could be so careless, and then hurriedly bandage you up. She's the gentlest woman in the world in my heart."

Su Chang'an looked at the old man in front of her, hesitated for a moment, then gently rested her face in the old man's palm, her black hair falling down naturally. "Uncle-Master, I'll take care of it."

The old man felt the softness of the woman's profile and her trembling lips. For some reason, he thought of what his master had said, and even more so of his master's wife, whom he had never met.

Looking at the person in front of him, the old man had been holding back a lot of things he wanted to say to his master's granddaughter ever since he received the message. On the way here, he had rehearsed in his mind countless times how to say it, what to say, and what not to say.

But at this moment, looking at her, who resembled her master so much, squatting in front of her, looking at her with gentle eyes and reddened eyes, she couldn't say a word. She just lowered her head gently, looking at the child in front of her, her chapped lips trembling uncontrollably, "Are you...are you doing well?"

These are the words of an elder who cares for the younger generation, as if they were complete strangers but meeting for the first time.

In particular, along the way, the old man heard all the experiences of this Empress, the granddaughter of his master.

He really is.
I really want to ask this question in person.

Su Chang'an was taken aback. He had thought about what his first words to the old man would be, but he never expected the old man to say something like this.

He knelt down, placed one hand on the back of the old man's hand, looked up at the old man, nodded gently, and grinned: "Yes, I'm fine."

feel bad.

Very unpleasant.

Just like when he first returned to the village, the elderly people there burst into tears the moment they saw him.

That was the case at the time.

The same is true now.

Yan Qi received an answer, but looking at Su Chang'an, her face was full of heartache. How could he possibly get better? How could he possibly recover?
He had also experienced the deaths of his parents and brothers before his eyes, but back then he had his master by his side. But what about this child?
Upon first meeting, I had a lot of questions to ask, but seeing this child, I only felt sorry for my master.

But looking at the child in front of him, he also wanted to cry.

Bai Danrong and the others had already caught up.

Caiyunjian saw that her master's eyes were moist as he looked at the Empress with great tenderness, while the Empress knelt down and placed her master's hand on her face.

This scene made her feel uncomfortable.

My senior brother has always been very strict and has never shown such an expression before.

But Master said that his senior brother had no choice but to be strict on ordinary days because the weight of Miaoyin Palace rested on his shoulders. He had to be this way, he had no other option.

Master also said that your uncle has never confided his grievances and suffering to anyone, nor can he confide in anyone. Perhaps he will only be able to cry when he finds Master in the future.

Su Chang'an looked at Yan Qi and said, "Uncle-Master, let's go inside first."

Yan Qi's gaze remained fixed on Su Chang'an. Upon hearing these words, she nodded, reluctantly withdrawing her hand from Su Chang'an's face, but her hand remained gripping Su Chang'an's hand.

like
I'm terrified that Su Chang'an will leave.

He would suddenly disappear from sight without saying goodbye, which is why he was holding onto Su Chang'an and looking at him.

Su Chang'an did not resist the old man's actions. He gently helped the old man up. He could feel that the old man was really just an empty shell, and his will had almost disappeared.

If the inner power of an ordinary Grandmaster is like a river, and the injured are like streams and brooks, then my master's body is like a dried-up stream, with only a few puddles remaining.

Su Chang'an gently sent his internal energy into the old man's body.

Yan Qi's mood has now calmed down.

After decades of searching, the result has finally arrived. The journey has been filled with anxiety, from the initial confusion and misidentification upon first meeting to the present moment.

The old man had a resilient mind and could adjust quickly; otherwise, how could he have single-handedly managed the huge, swaying Miaoyin Palace and brought it to this point?

Feeling the energy Su Chang'an sent into her body, Yan Qi looked at Su Chang'an and said, "It's useless, don't waste your energy."

Su Chang'an did not respond, but continued to send in his internal energy.

Seeing Su Chang'an like this, Yan Qi didn't say anything more. She just looked at Su Chang'an's gentle profile and saw that he was just as gentle as his master.

Thinking this, the old man's eyes welled up with tears again.

Crying Moon and the cat were in the yard.

Ku Yue and Yan Qi knew each other. When Ku Yue saw Yan Qi, she surprisingly didn't say anything outrageous and just watched quietly.

Everyone was taken aback to see the usually unruly Ku Yue acting this way, but they didn't think much of it.

In the past, Yan Qi would have said something to Ku Yue, but today, Yan Qi didn't say anything. He just noticed the Heartstring placed in the front hall: "That sword is Master's sword."

Su Chang'an nodded: "Mm."

Yan Qi looked at Su Chang'an and finally asked, "Master, was he killed or died of old age?"

After Su Chang'an helped Yan Qi sit down in a chair, he took a stool and sat down next to Yan Qi, and then said, "Uncle-Master, I also got some guesses from the various information I learned."

Yan Qi nodded quickly.

Everyone else also looked at Su Chang'an, as if afraid of missing a single word.

Su Chang'an began, "After Grandpa overcame the second layer of his inner demons, he went to see the Supreme Empress Dowager, also known as Senior Li Yunxian, and confirmed that he couldn't continue on the path he had chosen. Although I don't know the full story, I suspect he left because he was afraid of hindering you from following the same path, and also to search for a way to break free. But ultimately, he failed. Before he passed away, he went to the Northern Desert with his injuries, saving many people and killing many members of the Helian tribe. Besides saving people, I learned from Alaya in the Northern Desert that he wanted to eliminate future threats to the Miaoyin Palace, because the Helian tribe..." He would spare Miaoyin Palace, so he had to kill everyone in Helian's tribe, but he didn't manage to wipe them all out and was seriously injured. After returning, he lived with his grandmother in Laohuai Village, Jizhou, making a living by farming and hunting. Because he had already suffered a triple defeat, coupled with his severe injuries, his grandfather's health deteriorated day by day, and his martial arts were probably completely ruined. In the end, he left behind his grandmother, father, and uncle. But the villagers said that his grandfather's family was very happy, his grandfather was always smiling, and he and his grandmother were very loving. Before leaving, he even suggested to the villagers that they build a school in the village. This was the first time he had truly heard confirmation from his master.

What Su Chang'an said was the answer that everyone present had been searching for for decades, so the old people listened very carefully, as if afraid of missing a single word.

But when I heard the end...
Everyone lowered their heads, their eyes filled with confusion and doubt.

But no one spoke.

There are so many questions I want to ask.

Why did Master leave?

Since they're in Yan, why not contact them?

Why did you have to avoid the Helian tribe when you went there?

But no one asked any further questions.

Because it is very important.

But now, does it really matter?
Everyone was thinking about this matter along the way, and even wondering what kind of answer they would get, but when they heard what Su Chang'an said, they remained silent.

Because their master had never hidden from them, he was in the Great Xia, in the Yan region. The elders present had all followed their senior brother Yan Qi in and out of the northern deserts several times, passing through Jizhou each time.

The master was there, but they couldn't find him.

Bai Danrong said softly, "Master Gai once said that if he hadn't learned martial arts, he would have been a schoolteacher."

As she spoke, she looked up at Su Chang'an and asked, "Your Majesty, has the school been built in that village yet?"

Su Chang'an nodded: "Yes, the villagers loved Grandpa very much. After Grandpa passed away, the villagers rebuilt the school. Although the school was destroyed in the disaster in Mobei before, when I went there this time, the villagers had rebuilt it. The old people in the village said that Grandpa kept talking about this before he passed away. Too many people in the village owe him a debt of gratitude, and the school cannot be abandoned."

At this point, Su Chang'an looked at everyone's expressions and said, "Grandpa changed his name to Su Zizai, so please don't think about it, Grandpa just doesn't want you to find him."

"My heart is at peace, I am not of this world, I need not return." An old woman smiled self-deprecatingly.

Gongsun Chunu looked at her senior sister. Nine characters, three sentences—these were handwritten by their master, and everyone knew them.

It is translated as 'free and at ease'.

Bai Danrong clenched his fists. It wasn't that he was deliberately hiding; his master had already told them his name, but they had forgotten the truth.

Yan Qi looked at Su Chang'an and said softly, "When Master smiles, he looks a lot like you, Your Highness, especially your eyes, which are very similar to Master's. It's just that the corners of your eyes are not like his; they are softer. I think they should resemble Master's wife, or your mother."

Su Chang'an looked at Yan Qi.

Yan Qi continued, "Master built a school under Miaoyin Palace, and these nine characters were written on it. When we were young, the war in Daxia had just ended, and there were too many orphans who could not read. Master taught us disciples of Miaoyin Palace to read and write there. At that time, a senior uncle said that Master was better at holding books than swords. We did not understand, because we thought that swords were cooler and safer than books."

"Later, when I grew up, my master would still teach new disciples to read and write in his spare time. When I looked at him again, I felt that he was there, like a book of sages forgotten by time overnight, with the spring breeze brushing the pages. Whenever he talked to naughty children, he would squat down and talk to them. There would always be fruits, snacks and candies in his palm. If he happened to encounter a hooligan cursing in a town, he would smile and go to find a cup of tea to cool down. He said that when you have a quarrel with someone, you should not act impulsively, but communicate with them calmly. If communication is useless, there is no need for a verbal dispute, just take action."

“When I was following my master on his travels, one rainy night we were walking through the streets and alleys when we saw a stray cat shivering. My master squatted down and held an umbrella over it until the rain stopped before leaving. He said, ‘Why not help when you can? Besides, it’s nice to keep a cat company on a rainy night, isn’t it?’”

Yan Qi smiled gently, seemingly relieved, but then looked up at Bai Danrong and the others: "Fellow junior brothers and sisters, Master has simply gone to cultivate, not to avoid us. He doesn't dislike us for being useless; we've worried for nothing. Knowing this, isn't that a good thing?"

Upon hearing this, everyone lowered their heads.

But when they looked up at Yan Qi again, worry appeared on everyone's faces.

Yan Qi's withered fingers gripped the armrest tightly, the veins bulging like earthworms beneath her sallow skin, as if she wanted to sit up straight.

Su Chang'an quickly helped her up and wanted to continue sending Qi to Yan Qi, but Yan Qi refused, saying, "I know my own body."

As she said this, Yan Qi slowly turned her head, her gaze lingering on the Heartstring inside the sword case, and said to Su Chang'an, "Master's sword should belong to you."

Gongsun Chunu quickly brought the sword box to Yan Qi. Yan Qi looked at the repaired Heartstring and said, "Master said that to be kind to others is to pluck the strings of a zither and make the music beautiful. That is the greatest kindness. We have disappointed him. None of us are qualified to take this sword."

At this point, Yan Qi's face showed even more fatigue, and her voice weakened considerably: "Your Majesty, this sword is yours, Miaoyin Palace, Danrong, Chu Nu."

Bai Danrong immediately stepped forward.

Gongsun Chunu also looked at Yan Qi, and a bad feeling welled up in everyone's hearts. "Senior brother, don't talk anymore. You need to rest now."

Yan Qi continued, "Back then, I saw the two of you arguing but didn't intervene. When I saw Danrong leave and establish Miaoyin Pavilion, I didn't say anything either, because I didn't know what was right or wrong. Chu Nu thought Master's path was wrong, while Danrong thought it was right. The disagreement lay with Master. My mind was not mature enough to see that far ahead, and I was not worthy to answer you on Master's behalf. I could only watch you argue. But I believed that Danrong would not forget Miaoyin Palace, so I didn't intervene. But today, Danrong and Chu Nu are right. Master doesn't want to see us, which must be because he knows he is wrong and we cannot continue to follow his example, which is why he hasn't come back."

Bai Danrong looked at Yan Qi and nodded: "Senior brother, please don't say anything. I will talk to junior sister about our matter properly."

Yan Qi waved her hand and looked at Su Chang'an, who was continuously sending in Qi, "I was abrupt just now, Your Majesty, please don't take offense."

Su Chang'an shook his head: "You are an elder, how could you be so abrupt?"

As he spoke, Su Chang'an looked at the cat.

The cat immediately stepped forward.

Kuyue seemed to have learned something and immediately turned around and left to find Zhang Wenjing.

Yan Qi said softly, "If it weren't for the matter of finding my master, I would have passed away decades ago, and my health would have collapsed long ago. Now that I know his whereabouts, that's enough. Your Majesty, you must take this sword. From today onwards, Miaoyin Palace and Miaoyin Workshop will also be yours. I, Yan Qi, did not let my master bear the infamy of ruining Miaoyin Palace."

As she spoke, Yan Qi trembled as she raised her hand and grabbed Su Chang'an's hand, trying to make him grasp the sword.

Su Chang'an noticed this and quickly reached out to grasp the sword hilt.

The sword hummed.

Like music.

Upon hearing this, Yan Qi's vision blurred, but she suddenly looked at the sword, then at Xin Xian, and then at the person wielding the sword, and smiled softly.

But the hand that was holding Su Chang'an gently grasped Su Chang'an's sleeve.

He tilted his head, leaned back in his chair, and looked at Su Chang'an.

Lips move.

Master.

And then, for no apparent reason, trivial things that no one would care about pop into my head.

At that time, the war had just ended, and many children had lost their parents.

Yanqi's father died, but her mother was a concubine.

When his father was alive, his stepmother treated him very well, but after his father was killed by bandits while on business, his stepmother began to relocate him to the woodshed.

"Get out! Didn't you see I brought guests? Go hide in the woodshed!"

At that time, Yan Qi did not understand what Xiao Niang did. He only knew that she often brought men with her, and when she brought men, he would go to the woodshed.

"Still keeping them? Business is good."

"Look at what you're saying. If we don't raise him, we can sell him for money. Otherwise, who would want to see him? He looks exactly like his dead father."

"You didn't cause him to become a dead ghost?"

"Get out of here, it's like you didn't even lift a finger."

It was a very cold day.

Yanqi was so cold that she wanted to go out and ask her mother if she could go inside, or even just get a blanket.

But when he tried to open the woodshed door, he found it was locked.

The room was very lively, with many people and a lot of noise.

Yan Qi thought that her mother must be busy and was afraid that she would disturb her, so she locked the door.

So he huddled up in the woodshed.

It's snowing outside.

So cold.

Snow drifted in through the window of the woodshed.

The snow outside looks so beautiful.