Xuanxia

Chapter 1008 The So-Called Kindred

The late emperor did not have much time to delve into why Zhao Yuan could not become enlightened and why he could not learn the ancestral martial arts of the Zhao royal family.

Less than half a year after Zhao Yuan traveled through time, the late emperor fell ill.

Zhao Yuan never saw him again. He only knew that he was very ill and critically ill. It was said that he aged to an exaggerated degree in a very short period of time. No matter the imperial physician, the Sword Academy, or the Mingjian Pavilion, they were unable to save him.

As his uncle, King Zhao Liang of Xishuo came specially from his fiefdom in the Western Regions and temporarily took on the role of father, playing the role of both teacher and father, teaching Zhao Yuan how to be an emperor.

Logically speaking, a child of five or six years old would not be able to learn these things at all, but in fact, what is inside Zhao Yuan's body is the soul of a teenager.

Not only that, this soul had a rough life in his previous life and was precocious and intelligent. Although he was sensitive and fragile, in this life he was no longer a born disabled person who was ignored by everyone, but a prince who was loved by everyone. He hid his sensitivity and fragility very well and really began to play the role of a smart prince.

Fu Qingzhou saw a lot of memories. King Xishuo took Zhao Yuan and the equally young Zhao Hao out to play, read and practice calligraphy together... He also saw Ning Baimei occasionally bringing Ning Wuwang and Ning Wushu into the palace to play with Zhao Yuan. Not only that, under the guidance of Ning Baimei, he entered the Palm Sword Academy, worshipped Ling Haojie as his teacher, and formally studied the classics of strategy.

The young prince lived a very happy life. He was completely different from the way he was before he traveled through time. He began to become confident and unrestrained, and the light in his eyes became brighter and brighter. He would often worry about his sick father, and even went to the Jinchan Temple to pray in person, kneeling in front of the Buddha lamp all night, praying for his father's recovery.

The late emperor soon died, and before his death, he finally met Zhao Yuan again.

At this time, Zhao Yuan may have completely abandoned his identity in his previous life and completely assumed the identity of the Prince of Yanguo.

In front of the hospital bed, the late emperor had aged like a centenarian. His hair had almost fallen out, leaving only a few strands of dry white. He was so thin that his bones were visible. He huddled in his large bright yellow nightgown, like a handful of dry grass.

As soon as he saw him, tears welled up in Zhao Yuan's eyes.

He walked to the bedside and held the emperor's hand.

"Father..."

Zhao Yuan held back his tears and cried, "Don't leave..."

The late emperor was clearly stunned.

He might have had something to say, but after looking at Zhao Yuan's tearful eyes and listening to the child's sincere words, his gaze softened gradually and he asked, "I heard that you often go to Jinchan Temple to pray for blessings recently?"

"Ah."

Zhao Yuan lowered his head and said, "I am worried about my father."

The late emperor was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "As the Emperor of Yan, you can respect Buddha and Taoism, but you must not be controlled by them, and you must not be superstitious about gods and Buddhas... Yuan'er, from now on, don't go to any Buddhist temples or Taoist temples, unless... you are going to conquer them."

Zhao Yuan did not hesitate at all and replied, "Yes, Father."

The late emperor turned his head and cast his gaze at the two people behind Zhao Yuan.

Zhao Liang and Ning Baimei.

"My dear Ning," the late emperor called out.

Ning Baimei took a step forward and bowed: "I am here."

"Hong Family in the north, you have to help Yuan'er hold it steady." The late emperor said in a hoarse voice, "Hong Family is the weapon of our Yan State. Although they have been loyal to our Zhao Family for generations, Yuan'er is too young... Ruo Hai will not have any other intentions, but Yuan Family and Lan Family may not. Ning Aiqing, you have to help Yuan'er use Hong Family well and check and balance Yuan and Lan Family."

Ning Baimei's expression did not change at all, and he bowed again: "As you wish."

"Father..."

Zhao Yuan couldn't hold back any more and burst into tears: "I don't understand this, Father, please do it yourself, please do it yourself..."

"Ugh……"

The late emperor sighed, and his expression became very complicated.

Then he looked at King Xishuo again.

"Royal brother." he called.

Xishuo King Zhao Liang immediately stepped forward, his face showing sorrow: "Royal brother..."

"I originally wanted to give you this throne, but you didn't want it, so I can only trouble Yuan'er... Therefore, as the emperor's uncle, you have to help him."

The late emperor's voice became even hoarseer, and it was as if a knife was scraping his throat as he spoke: "I will ensure that he... can sit firmly on the throne."

"rest assured."

Zhao Liang's voice was slightly choked with sobs: "I will definitely live up to my brother's expectations."

"Okay." The late emperor smiled.

He turned his gaze to Zhao Yuan again.

At this time, Zhao Yuan was already crying.

Fu Qingzhou stood not far away with a complicated look.

No matter how precocious he was, Zhao Yuan was still a child. In his previous life, his parents were not around, and he never really felt the love of his father and mother. His grandparents always sighed in front of him, telling him how difficult and painful it was for the family because of his illness, and how poor they became...

But in this life, when he arrived here, he saw that the late emperor was willing to "gamble everything" for his illness, and then the late emperor took him to play, read, and enjoy parent-child time...

Fu Qingzhou understood that for a child, there was no need to blame him for not being able to understand wealth and poverty, nor was there any need to pursue right or wrong. For this child, his feelings were everything. Here he truly felt the love of his father and family. This kind of love was easy and not heavy, but it was exactly what he wanted.

Therefore, he really regarded the late emperor as his father.

Seeing Zhao Yuan crying like that, the late emperor's expression became even more complicated.

After a while, he slowly raised his skinny hand, stroked Zhao Yuan's head, and asked a question. "Yuan'er..."

He said in a hoarse voice: "Are you really my Yuan'er?"

Zhao Yuan's body froze, but he still opened his mouth and replied in a childish voice: "Father, I am Zhao Yuan, your child."

"..."

The late emperor was silent for a moment, then smiled slightly, and gently rubbed the child's hair with the hand on Zhao Yuan's head: "Okay, then you will do your father's... No, as the new emperor of Yan State, you must govern this country well, so that the people are healthy and the world is peaceful."

After an unknown amount of time, the sound of a child crying unbridled could be heard in the palace.

A few tears flowed from Zhao Liang's eyes. He walked forward silently, put the emperor's hanging hand back into the quilt, and spread the quilt flat.

Ning Baimei took Zhao Yuan's hand and slowly walked out of the bedroom.

But just as they passed by Fu Qingzhou, all the scenes in their memories suddenly stopped as if someone had pressed the pause button.

There was only the young Zhao Yuan.

He suddenly raised his head, looked at Fu Qingzhou beside him, and spoke.

"Looking back at this scene now, I finally understand... it turns out that from that time on, my father already knew that I was not his real child."

Fu Qingzhou's pupils shrank.

He could see himself! And not only that…

"you……"

Fu Qingzhou frowned: "Brother Zhao, is that you?"

"It's me." Zhao Yuan let go of Ning Baimei's hand, walked slowly to Fu Qingzhou, and lowered his head: "I don't know why I am immersed in the memory and can't leave... But you came here to help me get out, right?"

It turned out to be the case.

Zhao Yuan's soul continued to shrink and age, and correspondingly, he could no longer sense anything in the outside world and could only wander around in his own memories.

Fu Qingzhou squatted down and looked at Zhao Yuan.

"Before in Qiluo Palace, you said that we were the same kind, but then you said something else, so I didn't think much about it..."

He whispered, "Did you already know that we come from the same place?"

"Yes and no."

Zhao Yuan raised his head and smiled helplessly: "Your temperament is too different from this world. I have had an inexplicable sense of familiarity since I met you, but I have never confirmed it. After all, this is too outrageous."

"But you may not know that I... learned from Master Huikong that you are also a time traveler."

Fu Qingzhou was stunned. Master Huikong?

"Three years ago, after the turmoil in the capital and before Master Huikong left the capital, he came to talk to me once."

Zhao Yuan said calmly, "He said that the evil monk Huijue had dragged you into an illusion in order to 'wake you up'. I don't understand what that means, but Master Huikong said that he could sense Huijue's death. Not only that, he could also see everything that happened in the illusion."

Fu Qingzhou's heart tightened.

Fantasy?

Wait, it can't be...

"Master Huikong said that you used a skill called power throwing." Zhao Yuan said with a smile, "He didn't understand what you threw at the blood Buddha in the illusion, but those things could make the blood Buddha collapse. Master Huikong couldn't understand those physics and chemistry..."

"I see." Fu Qingzhou smiled bitterly and said, "Although you only have an elementary school diploma, you should still know these things."

"Yes."

Zhao Yuan sighed, "It was then that I realized that we were of the same kind... It was also because of this that Master Huikong believed that Brother Fu had great wisdom and was the true incarnation of the Way of Heaven. He also believed that you would never die, and he asked me to find you, saying that you could save the world."

"I wish I could."

Fu Qingzhou looked at the young Zhao Yuan and said, "It would be better if you were here and we were together."

"..."

Zhao Yuan looked at him, his voice becoming bitter: "Do you know something?"

"President Dong said that only people with a strong will to die will end up like you... There is no external force, but the soul continues to shrink and age."

Fu Qingzhou said softly: "You don't want to live anymore."

"Ugh……"

Zhao Yuan sighed again: "You can't say that. I don't want to die either."

He raised his head, looked around, and said slowly: "It's just that from the day I traveled through time until this moment... it is indeed the happiest time in my two lives."

"I don't want it to end."

(End of this chapter)