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墨書 Inktalez
Inside the Imperial Hall. Late at night.
"Your Majesty, I have something to discuss, but I'm not sure if I should," Li Jiu took a deep breath. No more thinking about promises, about whether he was a gentleman, or whether he had made any commitments to Firefly.
Sima Rui raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue.
Li Jiu closed his eyes for a moment. "Do you remember the strategy I proposed to repel the enemy?" Sima Rui's expression darkened slightly. Could it be—he dared not think further.
"That was not my idea; it was Consort De." The revelation struck like a bolt from the blue. Sima Rui's face turned pale.
Li Jiu seemed oblivious to the gravity of the situation and continued, "The Consort came to me during the rebellion and informed me of her plan before leaving. The Crown Prince was present as well. She didn't want to draw attention, so she asked me to keep this matter confidential. I agreed and have kept my promise. However, today it seems you have some misunderstanding regarding her intentions. Just think about it: how could someone who proposed a strategy to repel the enemy possibly harbor treasonous thoughts? If she had such intentions, with her intelligence and cunning, she would never have left such a glaring flaw. Don't you find that strange?"
Sima Rui sighed deeply, his brow furrowing, looking worn out. "I have never doubted her. Her character would never allow her to do such a thing. The evidence is compelling, and people's hearts are unpredictable; those ministers are watching closely, and I have no choice but to act. Li Jiu, I am the Emperor." He lowered his head and murmured, "So it was her all along." She had always been by his side.
"There is one more thing," Li Jiu's expression suddenly became inscrutable. "I have always wondered why the Consort mentioned that Jin Shao would appear that day. When I asked her how she knew, she answered casually. I thought she was joking, but on the day Su Jun surrendered, Jin Shao truly appeared. Quite strange and coincidental, isn't it, Your Majesty?"
Sima Rui remained silent for a long time, his face growing increasingly pale and his lips turning white.
"Your Majesty?" Li Jiu called lightly.
Suddenly, Sima Rui clutched his head in pain, his face contorting in agony as he trembled all over, muscles spasming uncontrollably. It was a terrifying sight.
He continued to murmur, "Little Jin... Little Jin... Firefly... Firefly... Who? Who?!" His gaze was hollow, seeing nothing at all.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! What is wrong?" Sima Rui stood up unsteadily, swaying as if the world were spinning around him. He stumbled into things around him, causing chaos in the hall as objects fell and shattered.
Sima Rui let out a low roar of anguish like a trapped beast before finally collapsing into darkness.
In the dead of night, an anxious voice shattered the silence: "Someone! Someone! Quickly summon the Imperial Physician!" The hall erupted into chaos as the Emperor grew faint and seemed to slip into unconsciousness. The physicians rushed about in confusion, discussing remedies for the Emperor’s condition with utmost caution; their lives depended on it. Moreover, today’s symptoms were peculiar—it felt less like a physical ailment and more like some form of sorcery or curse.
The physicians were like ants on a hot pan—utterly helpless!
Li Jiu stood there, his usually calm demeanor now fraught with anxiety.
Your Majesty, you must hold on!
Just as he felt an overwhelming sense of urgency and restlessness, a eunuch waiting outside rushed in with news of a guard seeking an audience—claiming it was urgent and could not be delayed.
For some reason, Li Jiu suddenly had a bad feeling. It seemed something significant was about to happen tonight.
Suddenly, a flash of lightning tore through the night sky, almost ripping it apart. Amidst the thunder, a sobbing sound filled the air, as if the entire sky was weeping for someone, bidding farewell.
Li Jiu's hurried steps were abruptly halted by a sharp pain in his heart, leaving him momentarily stunned. He stopped and felt a sudden warmth on his face. Unconsciously, he touched his cheek and was taken aback to find that he was in tears. It seemed inexplicably painful within him, and the tears flowed continuously. This made him appear quite strange; a minister crying like a child. The eunuch walking ahead glanced back in shock.
What was wrong with him today? It was truly a chaotic day, as if this night would never end.
Like an eternal night. The young eunuch prayed for dawn to arrive quickly. This night felt too bizarre; he trembled uncontrollably.
A man dressed as a guard stood at the door, his face pale as if he were a walking corpse. It seemed there was no one in his eyes. He stood there like a statue, frozen in place, as if his soul had left his body.
Li Jiu approached him, and after the leading eunuch called out to him for some time, he finally managed to regain a bit of his senses, as if his spirit had returned to his body. He looked mournful, with endless sorrow in his eyes. He bowed respectfully and almost reverently handed over something to Li Jiu.
Li Jiu took it with confusion, astonished. It was a precious jade pendant and a folded piece of white paper.
The guard stared blankly at him for a while before uttering a single sentence.
That sentence struck Li Jiu like a bolt from the blue, nearly knocking him off his feet. His vision darkened, and he almost fainted. Fortunately, the quick-witted young eunuch caught him just in time, preventing him from collapsing onto the ground.
Li Jiu steadied himself; he could not afford to fall now—the emperor was still waiting for what he held.
In a haze, Sima Rui suddenly heard a choked voice say to him: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Consort De... has just passed away. This is what Consort De asked the guard to deliver to you." As he spoke, he handed over the warm jade pendant.
Sima Rui's gaze lacked focus as he stared blankly at him. The warm touch in his hand made his heart clench painfully—a wave of excruciating pain hit him like thunderclaps.
Then, blood spewed from his mouth. The droplets scattered like plum blossoms against the dark night under the dim light, appearing enchanting yet sinister, startling both Li Jiu and the imperial physician nearby.
"Little Jin!" Sima Rui cried out in despair before completely losing consciousness.
****************************************************************************
In the ever-changing tides of history, everything recorded in historical texts flows on endlessly. This continent continues along its historical tracks, developing and passing down through generations without pause. What is meant to happen continues to unfold; what is destined to disappear still vanishes. No one can change it.
On this vast and magnificent continent, everything on the surface occurs independently without stopping for anyone.
Not long ago, the beloved consort of the Emperor of Jin State met an untimely demise. The Emperor fell gravely ill but endured the pain to hold an elaborate funeral for his consort, mourning her loss nationwide for several days. He decreed that no celebrations could take place throughout the country for ten days. There were rumors among the people that the Emperor deeply loved this Lotus Consort and attempted suicide several times after recovering from his illness to join her in death. However, hundreds of ministers and concubines knelt at the palace gates pleading with him until seven days later when he finally emerged from the palace—spiritually drained and looking like a withered skeleton. After promising not to take his own life lightly, he collapsed on the ground. Upon awakening, it was as if he had been reborn; he became cold and indifferent. The next day, he posthumously honored Lotus Consort with the title Empress Zejin and decreed that her position as Queen would remain unchallenged for life without any further consorts being appointed.
The emperor's deep affection moved the hearts of people across the land. The common folk were profoundly shaken.
At that moment, the renowned Jun Jin Villa suddenly vanished like a ghost, leaving no trace behind. The Four Kings still existed, still upheld justice, still provided aid to the world, and still took in all those without a home. Yet, the world no longer saw Jin Shao.
The existence of Jin Shao became an enigma with no answer.
Three years later, in an underground world unseen by the eyes of the continent, a nation known as the Jin Kingdom began to rise. This nation spread across vast territories, unknown to anyone. It emerged proudly like the brightest star in the firmament. No one knew where it came from, nor did anyone know who its monarch or leader was. However, its power surpassed that of any nation on the continent, and its existence was tied to the life and death of the entire land.
It began to seep into the vision and hearts of the people on the continent like a mystery.
The legend of the Jin Kingdom continued the legacy of Jun Jin Villa, sweeping across the land.
It was like a specter or a seer, allowing the existence of any nation while observing the ebb and flow of history, witnessing the changes in fortune, and watching over the splendid millennia of civilization that stretched endlessly.
It was a world shrouded in darkness.
Hidden deep within this continent was its only nation.
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