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墨書 Inktalez
"Stay here with me tonight. You've just woken up, and I can't help but worry."
Nie Qiuyuan handed me a set of pastel pink clothes, and I realized they were exactly what I usually wore.
It turned out he had prepared them long ago but was reluctant to give them to me. What a heartless person!
After getting dressed and cleaned up, I suddenly felt my soul truly return to my body, becoming myself again.
Yet, it seemed something had changed. Had the colors of the world shifted?
Everything that had happened before felt like a dream.
I decided to take a deep breath and return to being the clever girl, Ye Zhenzhen.
"So, what happened with the Ritual Ceremony?"
I realized that such an important matter had slipped my mind entirely. Now that I was awake, my first concern suddenly became this.
This was the first direct confrontation between the Jade Balance Bureau and the Mirror Gate. Did we win?
"Zhenzhen, after you were taken by the White Tiger, many things happened. Overall, we should consider it a victory."
We both settled down. Qiu initially wanted to brew some tea but then thought better of it and poured me a glass of warm water instead.
I held the cup and looked at him. His expression had returned to its usual calm and steady demeanor, rekindling that youthful thrill I felt when gazing up at my idol. I couldn't tell which version of him captivated me more: the one who warmly embraced me? The one who playfully teased me? Or this one, sitting across from me, calmly analyzing the case and recounting events?
If in this life I could not only nestle against his side like a bird but also walk hand in hand with him as his capable assistant—trusted and praised by him—wouldn't that be an even greater sense of fulfillment?
Qiu glanced at me suddenly, blinked his eyes, and revealed a fleeting smile of the night. In an instant, that smile vanished, and he returned to his usual self.
There is a feeling of such joy, for I believe that this unknown smile belongs solely to me. Perhaps I am the only one in this world who has witnessed his true self; he has opened his heart only to me.
How enchanting it is!
Autumn sat across from me, recounting the events that transpired after I was taken away on April Seventh.
The Ritual Ceremony was held at Dragon Head Mountain in the southeast of Chang'an. Just after the hour of Chen, the procession of the New Emperor appeared before the people.
This grand event was neither under martial law nor cleared of onlookers, allowing the citizens to gather freely. By early morning, the area around the altar was already packed with people, demonstrating that the love for spectacle has remained unchanged throughout history.
Though there were no restrictions or crowd control, Soldiers, Internal Guards, and Shadow Guards were busily working behind the scenes, hidden from view. Anyone who dared to speak out of turn would likely be quietly subdued and dragged away. Thus, the Emperor's security was undoubtedly well-managed; he must have had everything under control in his mind.
The procession for the New Emperor was surprisingly simple, with a remarkably short line-up. However, when people's gazes fell upon the young Emperor, no one questioned the caliber of this display.
Emperor Li Shimin wore a dragon robe and a crown, exuding an impressive presence. He was so young that his appearance seemed somewhat delicate and scholarly rather than imposing and powerful. Yet there was something in his gaze that inexplicably radiated light.
Perhaps historical depictions of figures cannot accurately convey their aura at that moment.
Why has no one written that Li Shimin was actually a very handsome man? Maybe he forbade such descriptions? Or perhaps writing it that way would seem frivolous and undermine his authority? In any case, after witnessing him, I lamented how unfortunate it was that others had not seen Li Shimin.
I can imagine how he looked at that moment. Li Shimin was the most stable and powerful presence I had ever encountered, combined with a star-like face and adorned in ceremonial robes; he alone could command the scene.
However, according to Nie Qiuyuan's account, the accompanying ministers at the Ritual Ceremony were also exceptionally splendid, each having appeared in my history textbooks. By the Emperor's side were Wei Zheng and Chancellor Du Ruhui, while behind them stood several names mentioned by Nie Qiuyuan—names I recognized as significant contributors later included in Lingyan Pavilion.
Not being able to attend this grand event and witness such a lineup firsthand was truly regrettable.
The ceremonial rites progressed smoothly. However, an unexpected occurrence arose: the Eight Holy Monks we were most concerned about arrived approximately half an hour earlier than scheduled for their bestowal ceremony.
According to the design by Jade Balance Bureau, the Thanksgiving Ceremony for the Eight Holy Monks had been relocated elsewhere; Qingliang Temple's main hall had become a trap for capturing Mirror Gate disciples. Therefore, under normal circumstances, once the Eight Holy Monks completed their rites, they could depart without issue. Yet there was quite a distance between Qingliang Temple and the altar; logically speaking, they should not have arrived so early. How could they have traveled so quickly?
Regardless, this ceremony was quite important, as it related to the stability of the people's hearts. Since the Eight Holy Monks had arrived, the Topknot Ceremony was about to begin.
The problem arose at that moment. As the Eight Holy Monks approached the Emperor, they suddenly drew weapons from beneath their wide monk robes and launched a swift attack on Emperor Li Shimin.
Ah, so that was it. Ren Pingsheng must have considered the possibility that we would see through his schemes, which is why he had this backup plan.
If the situation at Qingliang Temple failed, he would simply resort to regicide. After all, this newly ascended ruler was not an easy target; given time, he would undoubtedly become a significant threat to Mirror Gate.
At this moment, changing the plan to regicide had a high chance of success. Because after the Jade Balance Bureau unraveled Ren Pingsheng's trap and made targeted preparations, In My Heart would surely feel a sense of pride and complacency. This would create an unconscious flaw, resulting in a blind spot in a very subtle way.
In other words, if our attention was entirely focused on Qingliang Temple, then the altar itself became a weak link.
Thus, these eight Holy Monks were Ren Pingsheng's backup plan; all eight were impostors. No wonder they had arrived half an hour early.
Since they were specially dispatched, these eight individuals were rare masters in the world, and their actions were incredibly swift and unimaginable. However, the military officers responsible for security and the guards were scattered among the crowd below the altar and could not react quickly enough. Meanwhile, only a group of powerless civil officials stood on the altar, making the situation precarious.
Just when danger loomed large, unexpectedly, a figure suddenly flashed beside the Emperor. This person drew a long sword from somewhere and swiftly executed several sword moves. The onlookers could hardly see what was happening on the altar; all they heard was a clattering noise as the weapons of the attacking enemies were deflected aside.
When people finally saw what was happening on stage, they were taken aback. The one defending the Emperor with a single blade turned out to be a civil official. Even more surprising was that this official appeared to be in his forties and looked frail; it was none other than Chancellor Du Ruhui!
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