Minglong

Chapter 251 A Long-Awaited Reunion (Revised)

The room was brightly lit.

A beautiful woman with golden hairpins, dressed in a gorgeous phoenix dress, softly recounts her past.

Because she had relied on her beliefs to sustain herself for so many years, and these things were buried deep in her heart with no one to confide in, Empress Dowager Guo talked about them for a long time.

As for why she trusted Xie Jinhuan, the reason is simple—the gods had already tested her!

Xie Jinhuan was willing to walk south all the way to his death for the sake of his beliefs, so how could he betray his savior?

If so, then Xie Jinhuan would never reach that legendary place.

However, Empress Dowager Guo didn't tell Xie Jinhuan everything. She omitted things like her grudges with the old devil Gao, and her bad words about Sikong Shitang and Shang Lianbi, as these would have a bad influence if spoken of.

Xie Jinhuan listened attentively for a long time. Seeing that Empress Dowager Guo had stopped speaking and picked up her teacup, she took a deep breath. She truly hadn't expected that this red-haired, blue-eyed Empress Dowager before her had such a turbulent past. After thinking for a moment, she said:

"So, it seems Sister Guo has quite a few troubles. Hmm... The most troublesome thing right now should be the coming-of-age ceremony for the young emperor. Sister Guo definitely has no interest in becoming empress, but the court and the public don't know that. Moreover, the aristocratic families and sects, despite being suppressed, are full of rebellious spirits, and they will definitely use this as an excuse to make trouble..."

Empress Dowager Guo took a sip of tea and sighed:
"They didn't need to wait until then; they'd already started making trouble. Just now, you mentioned the Red Witch Cult, and you said you found clues in the mine. That's framing me, but they didn't expect that you saw through our relationship at a glance."

"However, the matter of Lishan Sword Lodge is still difficult to handle. Two half-burned pieces of paper are not enough to establish that this was a scheme orchestrated by the demons. Li Huaichuan is dead, Lü Yan was injured, and Chen Chi must give an explanation to the world. I cannot step forward to protect him unless you admit that you are my confidant and have been working as an undercover agent in the Southern Dynasty."

"Eh!"

Xie Jinhuan knew this would solve all of Northern Zhou's problems, but it would throw the Southern Dynasty into chaos. He quickly said:
"Revealing one's identity to break the deadlock is tantamount to cutting off one's own arm, which still benefits the evil Taoist. Hmm... My reputation as a chivalrous person is great, and the Northern Zhou court and people have heard of me. In my opinion, this matter can be handled openly and honestly."

"Sister Guo can act as the referee in the middle. I will go to court with Lü Yan and make it clear that I was tricked by the evil Taoist priest, and accuse Lü Yan of possibly being driven by the evil Taoist priest."

"The court and the public will definitely not accept this statement. I will make another bold statement: I will catch the demon bandit who set up the scheme within a month and let this matter come to light. I have a reputation as a righteous hero and my past experience to back me up. I will stay in Northern Zhou with dignity and not run away. The court and the public of Northern Zhou cannot possibly stop me from catching the demon and proving myself, right? As long as this statement gets out, public opinion will naturally calm down. All that is left is to dig out the demon."

Empress Dowager Guo considered it briefly and thought the idea was good, but still offered a reminder:
"The person behind this is very well hidden. To have so much intelligence, their position must be high, and they might not even be from the evil sects. It won't be easy to dig them out in a month..."

Xie Jinhuan calmly said, "A month is a long time. Even if I don't find anything in the end, it will be enough for me to dig out a bunch of evil heretics, corrupt officials and bureaucrats. When I win the hearts of the people in the north, I can bring up this old account again. I don't believe that the cultivators of the Northern Zhou or even the censors will still have the confidence to scold me."

"Too."

Empress Dowager Guo smiled and said, "Tomorrow I will arrange for the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices to preside over this case. I've given you advance notice, so you can proceed as you see fit. I'll also arrange a capable assistant for you later. In addition, if you need anything in the future, you can contact your father under the pretext of reviewing the case files. I can come to see you anytime you want."

"Row."

……
-
A moment later, Xie Jinhuan got up, said goodbye, and left.

Empress Dowager Guo remained seated in the room, holding a teacup, her brow furrowed in deep thought. Her hair and face had returned to normal. After a moment, she called out:

"Red Bean, go and call Jiang Xian here."

"Yes."

A response came immediately from outside the door, and soon after, light footsteps could be heard outside.

stomping on...

A female constable dressed in blue trotted in from outside. Upon seeing the Empress Dowager of Northern Zhou sitting inside, her almond-shaped eyes filled with excitement. She quickly stepped forward and bowed.

"This humble servant greets Your Majesty the Empress Dowager!"

Empress Dowager Guo glanced at the little girl, who was barely as tall as a scallion, and her brows furrowed with approval.

"You're quite capable, even managing to capture Xie Jinhuan."

Jiang Xian seemed eager to be proud, but in front of the Empress Dowager, she restrained herself and said humbly:
"Xie Jinhuan left footprints when he ran, and I was lucky to catch up with him. If he hadn't cooperated, I wouldn't have been able to catch him."

"In the Southern Dynasties, everyone said that Xie Jinhuan was 'a god in pursuit, appearing and disappearing like a ghost.' Your ability to catch up with him has already exceeded my expectations."

Empress Dowager Guo wanted to control the government, so she couldn't personally go out and dig out those demons and monsters among the common people. Over the years, she had also wanted to cultivate trusted and talented people, but while she had many subordinates, it was not so easy to find talented people. Most of the people she had trained were like Shen Cang, whose abilities had a limit. That's why she really hoped that Xie Jinhuan would come to help her solve her problems.

As it turned out, whether it was a stroke of good fortune or not, Xie Jinhuan came into her life, and God sent her another promising young man whose drive, ability, and loyalty were no less than Xie Jinhuan's.

Empress Dowager Guo naturally cherished such talent greatly, and took out a gold medal from her sleeve, tossing it to Jiang Xian:

"From today onwards, you are the Phoenix Envoy, responsible for investigating all officials and religious sects. If you encounter any evil spirits, you may execute them first and report later. Tomorrow, I will assign you a task. If you can handle it well, you will be in charge of the Heavenly Pavilion's inner guard from now on!"

Jiang Xian took the waist token, her eyes burning with desire upon hearing these words:
"Thank you for your kind words, Your Majesty. I will certainly get things done within three days!"

Empress Dowager Guo thought this young girl was a bit reckless. Xie Jinhuan had conservatively estimated a month, but this girl hadn't even known about the matter for three days. She shook her head and smiled.
"We'll talk about it after I take on the job tomorrow. Alright, go back now."

"Yes, I'll take my leave!"

After Jiang Xian finished speaking, she ran out excitedly...
-
After leaving the Criminal Investigation Department, Xie Jinhuan did not ask his father to arrange a carriage to pick him up. Instead, he accompanied Senior Bu to Duanli Street, where his landlady was staying. Along the way, a sense of melancholy filled his heart.

Now that they have successfully arrived in Yanjing, the good news is that their savior is not only Empress Guo, but also the strongest female martial artist to appear in the world in recent centuries, a true ancestor on par with the White-Haired Fairy, whose thighs are as thick as a vise.

The bad news is that Guo Da Meiren has health problems, her former rival is at the peak of his power, and the court she controls is an old cart that is nearing the end of its dynasty and is difficult to turn back. Noble families, court officials and religious sects are all dragging her down for their own interests, and there are also evil Taoists causing trouble in the dark. The situation is much more troublesome than that of the Southern Dynasty.

After all, even if the Great Qian Dynasty is riddled with holes, it is still a great dynasty that has been established for a hundred years and is in its prime. Many elders in the court and the countryside have watched the court rebuild the current great prosperity from the devastated wasteland. Driven by the inertia of history, both cultivators and ordinary people still recognize the Zhao family's banner.

The Northern Zhou Dynasty was different. Over three hundred years, the good reputation of Emperor Taizu of Zhou had been completely ruined by the incompetent rulers of later generations. The land annexation by powerful families reached its limit, and warlords such as the Prince of Andong and the Protectorate of Zhenbei emerged, who obeyed orders but not proclamations, just like the end of the Han Dynasty.

Empress Dowager Guo grew up during the height of the Northern Zhou Dynasty and was actually a staunch royalist. However, her current situation was more similar to that of He Jin, Dong Zhuo, and Cao Cao, who were trying to forcibly stop the old chariot that was rushing headlong into a dead end and prevent the Northern Zhou from collapsing.

The general trend of the world cannot be controlled by one person. Xie Jinhuan cannot be of much help. At present, all he can do is to deal with the evil heretics of the 'Red Witch Cult' who spreads heresies.

Bu Yuehua walked beside him, carrying the sleeping coal ball. Because she was still wearing a floral dress, her demeanor was elegant and serene, making her look like a young married woman holding a baby. At this moment, I was a little puzzled:

"Who just told you to go and pay your respects?"

Xie Jinhuan couldn't very well say that Empress Dowager Guo had personally summoned him, so he simply smiled and said:

"A high-ranking official from the Ministry of Justice inquired about the general situation of Lishan Sword Pavilion. There are no major problems at the moment. We can communicate with Northern Zhou tomorrow to discuss how to handle it."

Bu Yuehua felt that the Northern Zhou was a bit too easy to talk to, but it was good that she wasn't made things difficult for them. The two continued on their way and soon arrived near the residence where the Princess was staying.

Bu Yuehua had revealed too much of her abilities, and it was unclear whether Xie Jinhuan had seen through her disguise. She had previously been playing along with the flirtatious Daoist nun, but now that a small incident had occurred, regardless of whether Xie Jinhuan had noticed or not, she couldn't simply pretend she hadn't. Thinking for a moment, she said:
"You go ahead first. I'll find a place to stay nearby. When Junior Sister Mu comes, she'll probably be too embarrassed to stay at the manor, so I'll stay with her."

Xie Jinhuan knew that Bing Tuozi would never dare to go home with him to meet Sister Mo Mo as his girlfriend, and he understood that. However, seeing that Bu Yuehua's health had not yet recovered, he still accompanied her to a clean and tidy little house in Parrot Lane nearby, where Mei Qiu acted as her pager before leaving alone...
-
The eldest princess's mansion.

Moonlight spilled across the courtyard, and lanterns swayed gently in the night breeze.

Linghu Qingmo, dressed in a white dress, stood under the lantern, waiting for news from Yang Dabiao and the others. Her beautiful face, as clear as an iceberg, was filled with deep worry.

When the bad news from Lishan came during the day, the entire Southern Dynasty delegation was in an uproar. Although they used all available resources to inquire and communicate, they still had not received any news from Xie Jinhuan.

Linghu Qingmo had no connections in the north, and going to Lizhou to search for Xie Jinhuan would only make things worse. At that moment, he could only silently pray to his ancestors that he must find Xie Jinhuan safely...

As it turned out, the ancestral master was indeed efficacious. Just as she was feeling uneasy, two hands suddenly came around from behind her and covered her eyes.

"?"

Linghu Qingmo stiffened, sensing the warmth and familiar size of the palm, a look of surprise and delight appeared on his lips, yet he dared not directly pull the palm open:

"Xie Jinhuan?!"

Xie Jinhuan, standing behind, smiled broadly upon seeing this, and turned her head to give him a quick kiss on the cheek.
"What are you doing standing there so late at night? Waiting for me?"

Hearing the familiar voice, Linghu Qingmo felt a sense of relief, but her expression immediately darkened. She pulled away from his hand and turned to look at the man behind her.
"The outside world is in an uproar because of you, and you still dare to act so improperly? What were you doing killing the sect leader in Lizhou...?"

Although his words were somewhat fierce, seeing Xie Jinhuan dressed in a yellow cloth robe, covered in dust and grime, and realizing how difficult his escape had been, Linghu Qingmo couldn't bring himself to be fierce anymore and quickly helped Xie Jinhuan up.

"Are you alright? Hey, you..."

Boo boo boo…

Xie Jinhuan hadn't seen Da Momo for a long time and missed him dearly. He hugged him around the waist and gave him two more kisses, then looked towards the courtyard:

"I'm fine. Where are Princess and Wanyi?"

Linghu Qingmo's face flushed red, but she no longer held Xie Jinhuan's groping against her.
"Ling'er was worried you might make a mistake, so she's in the council hall discussing countermeasures with Elder Li and the others. As for Doctor Lin, what can she do besides sleep? You should rest and have some water first, I'll go call her..."

As they were talking, Linghu Qingmo pulled Xie Jinhuan to his residence, served him tea and water, and found him a robe. Then he ran off to inform the people in the mansion.

Xie Jinhuan originally wanted to go with them, but he barely stopped along the way, rolling around in the mud pits and mines, which really affected his image. So he picked up his robe and started to clean up and wash...

(End of this chapter)