High-class Spring Joy

As Chu Jingxian approached, he heard the little girl in front of him repeating something over and over, but her voice was very soft.

In Qinghe's current state, everything she says is mumbled and unclear, making it impossible for anyone to understand her.

But Chu Jingxian felt that Qinghe's state was not right at this moment. If it were just a normal dream, would she have such a strong reaction?

This didn't feel like a normal dream; it felt more like being trapped in a nightmare.

Logically speaking, Chu Jingxian shouldn't have gotten any closer to Qinghe. After all, there's a difference between men and women, and he didn't want to be disrespectful to the girl in front of him.

But at this moment, a voice kept telling Chu Jingxian in his heart that something was wrong.

Chu Jingxian had no choice but to approach, decisively pulling the girl in front of him into his arms: "Guoguo...Guoguo?"

Chu Jingxian tried to wake the person in front of him, but even with such a large movement, the person showed no signs of waking up. Instead, he seemed to be in a deep sleep, yet he was muttering some words. Chu Jingxian lowered his head and put his ear close, barely managing to glean some of the content through a combination of listening and guessing.

"My lord... my lord, please, my lord, have mercy on Yuhe..."

The girl's voice was still as beautiful as ever, but in her current state, it was slightly hoarse, like a flaw in a very beautiful and exquisite piece of expensive fabric. This did not make her voice sound unpleasant; on the contrary, it made it sound more genuine and innocent. Her hoarse and confused voice seemed to be showing Chu Jingxian in front of her how unguarded, pure, and authentic Qinghe was at this moment.

In this state, Chu Jingxian couldn't help but look at the girl's face. Qinghe's voice had been filled with complex emotions, seemingly carrying a lot of fear, but Qinghe's face did not show any fear.

Throughout, Qinghe's face showed more bewilderment and longing, like a newborn baby seeing its mother.

In this unguarded, authentic state, it's as if no matter what Chu Jingxian says or does, Qinghe will not only not doubt or be surprised, but will simply let Chu Jingxian manipulate her.

It was as if Qinghe had unconditionally entrusted her trust to Chu Jingxian in front of her.

Chu Jingxian's heart softened; this little girl was melting his heart. When was the last time he felt this way?

It was at that time in the Devil City that they were murdered by the drama troupe, even though it was a plan that had been set up long ago, a development that everyone was already aware of, and a situation that was even under their control.

When the traitors in the opera troupe thrust their daggers at Chu Jingxian, everything was under Chu Jingxian's control and within his calculations. Chu Jingxian had even planned which part of his body, what posture, and what angle he should use to receive the blow, so that he could save his own life while making the other party believe that they were completely unprepared.

Chu Jingxian had already thought it through and made all the preparations, but...

Perhaps there are many people in this world who are good at planning and like to have everything under their control. From what to eat today to future development, they like to have every step and every detail under their control. Only in this way can they feel at ease and feel that they have absolute control over their lives.

Especially those in high positions of power, and unfortunately, Chu Jingxian in front of him was such a person. Perhaps because an accident when he was six years old destroyed his eyes, his whole life fell into a state of uncertainty, so he was used to taking control of everything.

There are some people who live very orderly lives. Only when things are orderly can they feel secure. And it is often the exceptions who are the ones who have to arrange their lives and destiny in an orderly manner, have everything under their control, and make sure they understand and think things through in every detail.

But once an exception is encountered, it's like a breach has been made, and things spiral out of control. For Chu Jingxian, Qinghe was that exception that appeared in his life—an exception he couldn't control, couldn't predict, and couldn't manage from the very beginning.

Just like at the beginning, Chu Jingxian didn't know why he wanted to help this girl as soon as he saw her. He just wanted to protect her, wanted to say a few more words for her, wanted to help her first, and wanted to make her difficulties easier to resolve.

At that time, Chu Jingxian was unaware of his own feelings.

They can also use the relationship between Qinghe and Apple as a shield for their own inexplicable and incomprehensible thoughts.

But it wasn't until later, when a small loss of control was followed by a small accident, then a second accident, and then a third accident, which led to a series of exceptions, that Qinghe realized that she seemed to be losing control, and that she started losing control whenever she met the person in front of her.

He would do extremely irrational things whenever he met Qinghe. The things he did to help Qinghe were not part of his plan at all, nor were they things he hadn't expected. He never intended to use Qinghe as a pawn.

Therefore, in all of Chu Jingxian's plans, Qinghe was not initially included at all. Even now, in Chu Jingxian's schemes, Qinghe is not included. From the beginning, Chu Jingxian felt that he had not yet reached the point of using a young girl as a pawn.

He might not be able to come up with the best plan, but he would never stoop so low as to use a young girl as a pawn to scheme against her already difficult life.

The reason Qinghe is not in the current plan is that Chu Jingxian's plan is not safe. It is full of risks, dangers, accidents, and difficulties. If he is not careful, he may not only fail to get what he wants, but he may also fall to his death.

Before the situation stabilizes and before Chu Jingxian gets what he wants, he will never easily involve Qinghe in his plans, as this would only put Qinghe in danger.

Qinghe is no longer in Chu Jingxian's plans; on the contrary, she has become someone Chu Jingxian must protect.

Because a person who is originally fearless, unafraid of life or death, and who has given up on everything, will not be afraid of any threat at all.

The saying goes, "Those who have nothing to lose are not afraid of those who have something to lose." At that time, Chu Jingxian had nothing to lose, so he was not afraid of anything.

Sometimes, attachments come so suddenly. Once a person has an exception, they will have attachments. Once they have attachments, they will become weaker than before in some ways and in some matters, because they will no longer be as fearless as before.

When a person has something to fear or something to care about, then they also have a reason to fear death.

This is what's most terrifying when someone who has no weaknesses suddenly encounters their own exception and develops a vulnerability. This is why Chu Jingxian needs to overturn everything and start anew, even scheming against himself, to keep Qinghe out of the game and ensure her safety.

Qinghe was never part of Chu Jingxian's plan. Her existence and the things she was capable of always surprised Chu Jingxian and were completely beyond his expectations.

Although Chu Jingxian knew beforehand that Qinghe was a resilient girl who would strive to live even if she were frozen under the ice, and would try to sprout and break through the ice.

Chu Jingxian still hadn't expected that Qinghe would brave such a harsh environment and come without hesitation. In the midst of the ice and snow, on this vast ice plain where snow was falling indiscriminately, in this place where no living creatures roamed, a frail and helpless little girl, who was even pregnant, came when she was at her weakest and most in need of care.

Why did she come?

It seems they came with the princess?

Qinghe in front of him moved, as if she had been dreaming of something, which made her feel very insecure. When Chu Jingxian came to his senses, he felt a movement in his arms. Looking down, he found that Qinghe had somehow snuggled into his arms and was hugging his waist tightly.

The warm breath brushed against Chu Jingxian's cheek, and he heard Qinghe's drowsy voice in his ear:

"My lord... my lord, please don't die! I just want to see you one last time. Even if I have to die, even if I have to lose my life, I just want to see you one last time..."

This time, Qinghe was practically whispering in Chu Jingxian's ear, right next to his earlobe. Chu Jingxian naturally heard it clearly, but hearing it so clearly at this moment made his thoughts less clear.

and so…

So... so she... this little girl braved all the hardships and dangers, and went on such a long journey with the princess, entering the Arctic Plains without hesitation, just because she knew that if something went wrong, his life would be in danger, right?

she…

She went through all these hardships just to see him one last time.

Chu Jingxian felt that his heart, which had originally turned into a puddle of water, was now completely unable to harden or be lifted up.

How could there be such a girl? How could there be such an exception? Why did fate set such a great hardship for her?

Compared to Qinghe, the exception who overturned his entire plan, Chu Jingxian even felt that his blindness was perhaps due to fate's mercy.

Chu Jingxian looked at the girl's face in front of him, that delicate and extremely beautiful face, which was now buried in his arms, and he could only see half of her profile.

Logically, he shouldn't touch the girl in front of him. After all, men and women shouldn't touch each other. Even if he didn't consider his own reputation, he should consider Qinghe's reputation. The young girl's reputation... would have a huge impact.

When did this little girl in front of him start disrupting Chu Jingxian's plans?

Chu Jingxian didn't know, but what he could tell was that all the help he had given to this girl from the beginning was due to her own problems. She was an exception in his life, causing him to unintentionally disrupt his own arrangements and plans, without him even realizing it from the start.

To be fair, Chu Jingxian thought Qinghe was an extremely well-behaved, sensible, kind, and resilient girl with a temper. In Chu Jingxian's mind, almost every positive adjective could be used to describe Qinghe, and he never hesitated to use these positive adjectives to describe her.

So, if we're talking about Qinghe actively disrupting Chu Jingxian's plans, Chu Jingxian can probably only count two instances so far.

The first instance was Qinghe's night in prison, when she was unaware of what was happening.

The second time, just as Chu Jingxian had calculated the angle and force of his lying down, as well as the angle, location, and extent of the blow, he discovered that the mirror on his chest had actually taken the blow for him.

The mirror didn't disrupt Chu Jingxian's plan at all.

What truly ruined Chu Jingxian's plan and made him feel that he was beyond saving was the get-out-of-jail-free card hidden deep in the mirror.

He said that Qinghe was never a stupid girl; she could guess it.

But the girl's guess seemed to be more serious; did she think he was planning a rebellion?

Even if they suspected him of plotting a rebellion, would they still unhesitatingly grant him a pardon?

Actions often precede thoughts, especially when a person's attention is largely diverted to other things.

By the time Chu Jingxian realized this, he was already gently patting Qinghe's back.

Guoguo, oh Guoguo…

What should I do with you?

What am I going to do with you? Why won't you tell him about the child's existence and what happened that night?

Chu Jingxian gently tucked a strand of hair behind Qinghe's ear. What was he worrying about?

Chu Jingxian calmed himself down and began to carefully observe the situation inside the room, but before he could figure anything out, he suddenly frowned.

He smelled a scent permeating the room.

Why is there such a strange smell? It's not a normal smell. But just now, Chu Jingxian was too worried about Qinghe, so he wasn't very focused. In addition, a girl's room usually has some sachets and rouge.

The fragrance of sachets and rouge can easily mask the smells in the air.

Fortunately, Chu Jingxian's sense of smell was more sensitive than that of ordinary people. After calming down, he was able to smell the very faint scent in the air.

Although the scent carried a faint fragrance, it was definitely not a proper one. The fragrance was very faint and was overwhelmed by the other scents in the room, but even with Chu Jingxian's keen sense of smell, he could still detect something amiss.

It seemed to have a very faint fishy smell, but that smell was also very strange, like some kind of animal...

But at this moment, the impact on Chu Jingxian's sense of smell was too great. With the fragrance masking the smell, and the scent being very faint, Chu Jingxian could only spend more time searching the room, carefully sniffing around.

Chu Jingxian decisively walked to the door to smell the scent, because if someone had indeed used some kind of drug, the most likely place to use it would be through the doorway.

When Chu Jingxian reached the door and smelled the distinct fishy odor emanating from the window, he was startled, his brows furrowed, and he immediately fell into worry.

this smell...

Is it musk?!

Although Chu Jingxian was not skilled in medicine and was not a doctor, he had been dealing with doctors since childhood. Later, he had long-term contact with Sai Huatuo and treated his own illnesses for many years. With so much contact with herbs, he was able to distinguish them and was very familiar with most common herbs.

As the saying goes, experience makes one a doctor.

Chu Jingxian could smell the musk. If he had been further away earlier, he wouldn't have been able to smell it clearly and wouldn't have been able to determine what it was. But now that he was so close, with some traces left on the window, the fishy smell immediately assaulted Chu Jingxian's nostrils.

If this still cannot be confirmed, then there is a problem.

It took Qinghe two breaths to realize that he was referring to her last words.

"Slave..." Qinghe opened her mouth, wanting to say that he didn't have to do this, but when she met his cold and deep gaze, all her words were blocked on the tip of her tongue and she swallowed them back.

"Once you enter the palace, anyone who serves the Emperor is considered a concubine."

He spoke slowly and deliberately, while his subordinate continued applying the ointment to her.

Perhaps it was because his large hands were too hot, or perhaps she was a little dizzy at the moment, but it took her a moment to realize that he seemed to be teaching her.

Qinghe's lips moved slightly: "Thank you, Supervisor."

He didn't speak, leaving only Qinghe's somewhat uncontrollable breathing.

She could feel him getting close.

The distance suddenly closed, and Qinghe was like a fish on a chopping board, not daring to move. His hot breath licked her like a snake's tongue, entwining with her breath...

The scent of sandalwood mixed with alcohol lingered around her nose, and his warmth enveloped her completely. Qinghe felt as if she had been completely locked onto by him.

The calluses on his fingertips, worn from the swords, were so prominent that they seemed to hold her already hazy thoughts, making it appear as if he could easily turn her into his possession.

When his fingertips rested on her collarbone, Qinghe subconsciously looked at him and found him staring intently at the crimson begonia flower on her collarbone.

"Where did this flower come from? A birthmark?" he asked in a deep voice.

Qinghe shrank back and answered truthfully, "It's because I was injured when I was a child and had a scar. My mother used this crabapple blossom to cover it up."

She sensed that his gaze had become dark and unfathomable, as if he were looking at her through something, flickering with emotions she couldn't understand at all. She could only sense that his movements as he applied the medicine seemed a little lighter.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door, and Gao Gonggong's voice came through—

"Your Majesty, it's nighttime, and they're urging us from the Qianqing Palace."

Qinghe immediately came to her senses and looked at the person in front of her with some unease.

Chu Jingxian suddenly stood up, threw down a sentence, and left: "No one else is allowed to touch my things, remember that."

Qinghe's Adam's apple bobbed, and she softly replied, "Yes."

After Chu Jingxian left, the maid who had served her came in and helped her change her clothes and do her makeup. Then, an eunuch came and led her to the Qianqing Palace.

Before her stretched an endless palace wall, like an abyss with no end in sight. Qinghe had no idea what awaited her on this path.

It wasn't until she stood at the entrance of the Qianqing Palace that Qinghe came back to her senses. She looked at the eunuch, her lips moved as if she wanted to ask Chu Jingxian, but in the end she didn't ask anything.

"Please come in, Your Highness. The Emperor is already inside." The eunuch outside the palace gestured for them to enter.

As she spoke, Qinghe was led into the Qianqing Palace. As soon as she entered, she heard the sounds of men and women laughing and entwining in the hall. The palace gates were tightly closed, and only the candlelight could be seen reflecting several intertwined figures on the door.

"Chun Changzai is inside." The eunuch was most likely one of Chu Jingxian's men, and he reminded her softly.

Once inside the palace, Qinghe saw the emperor and Consort Chun entangled together, with palace maids standing beside them who dared not raise their heads.

Chun Changzai looked at Qinghe with a hint of mockery and contempt in her eyes, then immediately started to fawn over the emperor.

She knew Chun Changzai. She came from the imperial kitchen, was skilled in singing and dancing, and was arrogant and foolish.

In her previous life, after Qinghe entered the palace, although all the favor was taken away by Consort Shu, on the surface, others only knew that she was favored. There were few in the vast harem who were not jealous of her. Consort Chun once poisoned her out of jealousy, but fortunately, it was discovered in time.

Just then, Qinghe heard footsteps. The little eunuch who had brought her earlier came in carrying a tray. "Your Majesty, it's time to take your medicine. The Chief Eunuch instructed that you must take your medicine on time."

"This Chu Jingxian... is truly loyal..." the emperor said hoarsely as he drank his medicine and then got entangled with Chun Changzai again, seemingly unaware of Qinghe standing at the door.

Qinghe's eyelashes trembled. Without the emperor's order, she dared not easily disturb his interest, and pondered in her mind what to do.

suddenly!

A loud crashing sound rang out in front of her. Qinghe panicked and immediately knelt down with the palace servants, not daring to look up at all.

But... after all the smashing and thrashing, there was a very clear sound of a sword being drawn!

Qinghe looked up in panic, her pupils wide with terror, her whole body shrinking back—

Just moments before, Consort Chun, who had been playfully cuddling Emperor Jing, was beheaded in an instant, her blood splattering all over the ground... even landing on Qinghe.

Before she could react, palace maids and eunuchs rushed in, shouting and yelling, and quickly restrained the emperor who was slashing wildly. Then the imperial physician arrived.

Qinghe knew nothing more after that, nor did she know where the emperor had been taken. The sight of blood everywhere was something she had never expected.

She...she had no idea why this was happening; it wasn't like this in her past life!

Emperor Jing became licentious and immoral after he reached middle age. He had countless concubines, and he arbitrarily plundered palace maids and wives of officials. He also killed countless people and indulged in wine, women, and food every day. His subjects all said that he had listened to the slander of Chu Jingxian.

But that's at least ten years from now. The current Emperor Jing is working hard to govern the country, and even the number of concubines in the harem is only around 50!

Why... why is everything so different now?!

She thought she was prepared, but the situation was many times worse than she had imagined.

Footsteps sounded again, and a tall, dark figure loomed over her, as if bringing a cold wind. Qinghe shivered and looked up in fear, only to be met with a pair of dark and cold phoenix eyes.

Qinghe's lips opened and closed, wanting to say something but unable to utter a word, as if grasping at a lifeline, she tightly gripped his clothes.

The treacherous eunuchs who were condemned by everyone in the court and among the common people seemed to have become the source of Qinghe's sense of security. How ridiculous and absurd!

"Your Highness has been frightened." Chu Jingxian looked at the little girl in front of him, her face pale and bloodless with fright, looking at him timidly and helplessly like a little animal. He raised his hand, took off his crane cloak, and covered her with it. He coldly ordered, "Send Your Highness back to Yikun Palace."

"Yes."

The eunuchs behind him responded.

The sandalwood scent on the crane cloak was extremely rich and soothing, silently calming her startled thoughts. Qinghe took several deep breaths before she could finally calm down. She nodded to Chu Jingxian before following the little eunuch back to Yikun Palace.

Her steps were unsteady as she walked. The events of her previous life after her rebirth flooded Qinghe's mind, leaving her confused and unable to make sense of anything.

She instinctively clutched the crane cloak she was wearing, and couldn't help but glance back. She saw the Qianqing Palace in disarray, with people coming and going, but she couldn't see that tall and imposing figure in crimson.

The palace was shrouded in night, and the long, quiet palace corridors were bustling with noise outside the Qianqing Palace, which had suddenly become noisy due to the turmoil. A squad of Imperial Guards carrying embroidered spring knives stood guard.

"Master Supervisor, why did you deliberately frighten Miss Shen?" Eunuch Gao stepped forward and asked in a low voice. It was because the Master Supervisor ordered the ordinary calming soup presented to the Emperor to be replaced that this sudden turmoil occurred.

Chu Jingxian, clad in crimson flying fish armor, resembled a rampant and eye-catching flame in the night. His thumb playfully pressed against the hilt of his sword, as if preparing to draw it. A smirk played on his blood-red lips as his gaze lingered on the retreating slender figure, a sickly yet obsessive light flickering within him: "...She could never possibly fall in love with the Emperor, could she?"

He wanted to eliminate any possibility of her having feelings for someone else; from now on, he would be her only support!

Her timid and helpless eyes could only ever look at him!

"Then... what about Consort Chun?" Eunuch Gao was still puzzled. Why was Consort Chun suddenly summoned to serve him? Could it be... because Consort Chun had insulted Miss Shen with two words about her being a lowly servant last night? Eunuch Gao suddenly seemed to understand and looked at his master with disbelief.

When did Master start to value Miss Shen so much?!

Chu Jingxian neither confirmed nor denied it, but merely gave him a cold glance.

Eunuch Gao swallowed hard, then quickly lowered his head and got down to business: "Sir, we've found the person you're looking for. They've been connected to Consort Shu. Should we continue the investigation?"

"No need to investigate." Chu Jingxian raised an eyebrow, his reddened eyes both wicked and alluring.

The person is already in front of him, what's the point of investigating?