Spiritual energy resurgence? My former empress wife has also revived!

The peach blossoms are in full bloom, their beauty dazzling.

A figure dressed in purple palace attire stepped over the high threshold and entered the garden full of peach blossoms.

Peach blossoms bloom in profusion, their full bloom transforming into a gentle drizzle, leaving pink trails on the bluestone path.

A pair of small, delicate feet, treading on exquisite embroidered silk shoes, stepped into the peach blossom grove.

The blooming peach blossoms, upon seeing the woman's face, felt ashamed, and their scattered petals swirled and danced around her.

Jiang Zhi extended a delicate, jade-white hand from her sleeve and gently pinched a peach petal on her shoulder.

The air is filled with the fragrance of flowers, which is refreshing and invigorating. The spring breeze is gentle and warming.

But Jiang Zhi doesn't like spring.

She preferred autumn, the desolate autumn.

Because in that desolate place, she met her young monk at the Kongxiang Temple.

She wept amidst the falling maple leaves, watching her little monk smile as he closed his eyes.

She carried his heart, his bones, and his hopes, and thus roamed the world for millennia, becoming an invincible empress whom everyone looked up to.

Although the memories of ten thousand years are long, what is most unforgettable, like a mellow wine, is the year spent with him, traveling all over the Great Yan, enjoying the beauty of nature and laughter.

Jiang Zhi's dark eyes, as black as lacquer, were deep and unfathomable. She gazed quietly at the peach blossom forest, as if she had traveled through time and space back to the once-glorious Great Yan Dynasty.

……

The year 9800 of the Great Yan calendar marks the ninth thousandth year since Jiang Zhi inherited the throne of Yan.

Six thousand five hundred years ago, the Empress used the "Supreme Dao Weapon" to suppress another immortal dynasty emperor, and the divine dynasty reached its peak.

From then on, the Great Yan Divine Dynasty stood tall in the Eastern Emperor Realm for six thousand years, its divine might vast and its people all submitting to it.

With the exception of a few sects suppressed by the Taiqing Realm, all the sects in the Eastern Emperor Realm submitted.

The capital of the Great Yan Dynasty stretched across the earth like a celestial palace, with nine layers of walls cast in black gold and engraved with star patterns that turned day and night without ceasing.

The city's eaves and brackets soar through the clouds, its vermilion towers and jade palaces reach the heavens, carriages and horses throng like dragons, and monks throng like weaving.

At the central axis, the imperial palace stood majestically, with millions of palaces and pavilions.

Looking out over the Celestial Dynasty from here, one can see eighteen pillars of light crisscrossing the earth and piercing into the heavens, as well as three hundred and sixty-five stars scattered across the sky.

Those were the eighteen Dao Lords and three hundred and sixty-five Dongxuan True Monarchs appointed by the Empress.

At this time, in a teahouse in the capital, an old storyteller was speaking with great enthusiasm.

"Nine thousand years ago, in a remote part of the Eastern Emperor Realm, there was a small country called Yan. A beautiful young woman in her early twenties inherited the throne amidst the covetous eyes of other countries..."

As soon as the old man opened his mouth, a chorus of boos erupted from below.

"Old Li, we asked you to tell stories, not to recount history to us."

"That's right, that's right! In our Yan Kingdom, everyone has access to books. Haven't we read the history of the Great Yan?"

The people in the teahouse laughed and cursed, thinking that the old storyteller had run out of ideas.

The storyteller wasn't annoyed. He smiled and said, "The history I'm telling is different from what you know."

"Do you know why Kongxiang Temple has thrived for thousands of years?"

Some people scoffed, "Kongxiang Temple shares the fate of the nation. The founder of Kongxiang Temple was a close friend of the founding emperor of the Yan Kingdom. The two of them jointly established the Yan Kingdom."

"After that, Kongxiang Temple maintained good relations with the royal family of Yan. For nearly ten thousand years afterward, although no Buddhas ever emerged from Kongxiang Temple, there were still many Buddhas."

"Whenever my Great Yan Dynasty is in crisis, Kongxiang Temple mobilizes all its resources to protect the country. Over the years, countless eminent monks have perished, and countless relics have been enshrined in the pagoda."

"This is history that everyone knows."

The others nodded.

Kongxiang Temple was the largest temple in the Yan Kingdom, with flourishing incense offerings. Over the past ten thousand years, it has produced countless virtuous and holy monks, each of whom was a highly respected figure.

For thousands of years, Kongxiang Temple has shared the nation's battles and revelries, earning the respect of all.

The storyteller smiled but didn't reply. He then asked, "Do you know why a minister who petitioned the Empress, hoping she would find another suitable husband to bear a son like Huang'er, was immediately killed by the Empress?"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the teahouse shuddered, thinking that the storyteller was incredibly audacious to dare to comment on the Empress's private affairs.

They looked at each other and shook their heads.

The Great Yan Dynasty may seem peaceful and prosperous now, but in reality, it is fraught with uncertainty and instability.

The Emperor is already nine thousand years old, and at most has a thousand years left to live.

There are no eternal dynasties in the world. Throughout history, most of the divine dynasties only have a lifespan of ten thousand years, which corresponds to the lifespan of a Taiqing Realm expert.

If the Empress were to pass away, all imperial edicts would become invalid, and the divine dynasty would immediately collapse.

Throughout history, the rulers of divine dynasties have all inherited the throne through their sons, thus ensuring the continuation of the dynasty.

The higher the level of one's offspring, the longer the dynasty will last.

The longest-recorded dynasty in the Eastern Emperor Realm took a full thirteen thousand years to completely split apart, because the second-generation ruler was a Dao Lord.

In theory, if the successor is also a Taiqing Realm cultivator, then the divine dynasty can continue for another ten thousand years.

But theory is just theory. The methods of cultivation in the Yun Dynasty are inherently difficult, and there has never been a magnificent scene of two Taiqings in one sect in history.

Now that the emperor has only one thousand years left to live, the civil and military officials are naturally filled with fear.

Only if the Celestial Dynasty continues forever can their descendants receive blessings. Naturally, they hope more than anyone else that the Great Yan Divine Dynasty will have a broader future.

Therefore, it was only natural for him to advise the Empress to find a suitable husband and have a son, Huang'er.

Even if the Crown Prince cannot cultivate to the Taiqing Realm like the Emperor, as long as he can cultivate to the Dao Lord level, the Divine Dynasty can continue for another two or three thousand years.

No one expected that the emperor, who was usually always willing to accept advice, would suddenly fly into a rage and kill the minister who had offered the advice right there in the Golden Palace.

The emperor angrily declared that anyone who dared to mention this matter again would have their entire family wiped out.

The ministers were so terrified that none of them dared to mention it again.

Unlike ordinary mortal kingdoms, where emperors must feign compliance with their ministers and use imperial methods to maintain balance in the court, this was different.

The Celestial Emperor is a true saint of the Taiqing Realm, and under his command are the loyal Dao Lord and the Dongxuan True Lord, who have been bestowed titles by imperial decree.

The Celestial Emperor could kill whomever he wanted; his word was law, and he held absolute power.

At this moment, people also recalled that back then, a celestial emperor from the same Taiqing Realm wanted to marry the empress, but the empress spent eight hundred years killing him.

In addition, there have been persistent rumors that the Empress dislikes men, so it is impossible for her to find a husband.

Inside the teahouse, many listeners were deep in thought when the storyteller chuckled and said, "The reason the Emperor is so indifferent is because he is already married to another man."

Upon hearing this, the listeners were not curious at all, but rather terrified.

The storyteller seemed oblivious to the emotions of the crowd, continuing his 'nonsense': 'The prosperity of Kongxiang Temple and the Empress's unwillingness to find a husband are one and the same thing.'

"It is because nine thousand years ago, there was a monk named Mingxiang in Kongxiang Temple. He had the bones of a Buddha and the heart of a Buddha. He was a born Buddha and his path to enlightenment was far-reaching."

"That monk and the emperor were childhood sweethearts, but for the empress, he abandoned his path of cultivation, sacrificing his own life to save the emperor and the Yan Kingdom from dire straits, and to prevent the collapse of the dynasty."

"The Emperor is pure and virtuous, and upholds the virtues of womanhood. She has already married him and is a widow. Why would she seek another husband?"

"Those foolish ministers committed a grave offense; they deserved to die."

The teahouse was deserted, and the listeners were so frightened that they almost lost their souls and ran far away, afraid of hearing another word.

You dare to tell such unofficial history about an empress in the capital?

Aren't you afraid of being found out and punished on the spot?

They haven't lived enough yet!

The storyteller looked at the empty teahouse, shook his head, and sighed softly, "Ah, these days, why is it that no one believes the truth?"

Inside the teahouse, there was a woman dressed in a palace dress, seemingly not of this world.

She was standing there, yet it was as if no one could see her.

The woman slowly walked out of the teahouse.

Upon reaching the door, she seemed to remember something. With her jade-like hand wrapped in her sleeve, she took out a spirit stone and tossed it out, leaving only a faint, ethereal voice: "Well said."

The storyteller was startled; with his level of understanding, he hadn't even noticed that there was someone else in the teahouse.

He picked up the spirit stone, then suddenly his expression changed, as if he had guessed something. He immediately knelt down and bowed deeply in the direction the woman had left.

"Thump—"

The bells of Kongxiang Temple, located halfway up the mountain, rang out, as if chanting Buddhist hymns in the capital.

Jiang Zhi, who was walking on Shenjing Avenue, stopped and glanced at Kongxiang Temple. She sighed softly, "It's late autumn again."

She then moved gracefully back to the imperial palace.

"Your Majesty!"

Several stunningly beautiful female officials came to pay their respects, but Jiang Zhi simply said calmly, "No one should disturb me today."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

For thousands of years, the emperor has had a habit: every late autumn day, she would go to a quiet courtyard in the imperial palace and stay there for a whole day before coming out.

No one knows what's there; it's the largest forbidden area in the entire imperial palace.

Stepping into the courtyard where she had married the young monk, she abandoned all her dignity and pride.

She was no longer the majestic and invincible empress, but a widow grieving for her husband.

Maple leaves fall in the courtyard, a desolate autumn scene.

Just as it was nine thousand years ago, on the day he left, red curtains are hung and bright red lanterns are lit.

Jiang Zhi looked slightly dazed. She seemed to see herself again in her phoenix coronet and wedding gown, sitting shyly on the edge of the bed, watching him lift the veil and gaze at her with a dazed look.

She removed her heavy veils, revealing a beautiful face that no one had seen in nine thousand years.

Such beautiful features, such stunning beauty.

Beneath the maple tree stands an unchanging stone tablet, inscribed with: Tomb of Qin Zijun, erected by his widow Jiang Zhi.

Not far from the stone tablet, there was a small mound, which was the cat she used to raise with the young monk.

Jiang Zhi walked to the stone tablet. Despite her obsessive-compulsive disorder about the dirt on the ground, she no longer cared. She sat down, leaning against the tablet, her slender fingers gently stroking its rough surface, murmuring softly:

"Little monk, it's late autumn again, and your Miss Jiang has come to see you once more."

"Although I call you little monk, I still want to call you husband. But you are a bad guy, a big liar, and you have never called me 'wife'."

"At the age of two thousand five hundred, I refined the 'Supreme Dao Weapon' and reached the pinnacle of Taiqing, becoming invincible throughout the world. I then spent two thousand five hundred years searching for your reincarnation, but to no avail."

"On the day I turned five thousand years old, I knelt before you and begged for your forgiveness. I will no longer seek your reincarnation."

"I really can't find you. You haven't left a single trace, but how is that possible?"

"I think it must be because I'm not strong enough that I can't find your reincarnation. As long as I can become a true 'immortal,' I'll definitely be able to find you."

Jiang Zhi gave a bitter smile and sighed, just like any Taiqing Realm Saint who had cultivated for nine thousand years: "I thought that with my talent and ability, I would definitely be able to do it."

"But how could I possibly do something that no one throughout history has been able to do?"

"Little monk, I'm sorry, I lied to you again. I still can't find you."

She said wistfully, "I have given up. I have sent people to build a mausoleum and make a coffin. We cannot be together in life, so let us meet again in death."

"If only we could be together in the next life... Then, it would be your Jiang girl protecting you~"

She leaned against the stone tablet, staring blankly at the falling maple leaves, listening to the mournful autumn wind.

"The empty image of Buddha's bones locks away the clear autumn; with white hair and frost, I vow never to rest."

"If you want to ask where the lone wild goose has gone, you will hear of many boats sailing on the vast sea."

"May the tears of a thousand-year-old red candle, and may we share the yellow earth mound for ten thousand years, even as the dead live on."

"I do not seek ascension to immortality, but only to await your gaze in the next life."

……

The Imperial Palace of the Xia Dynasty—

A woman in a purple palace dress stood before a tree in full bloom, her face veiled, revealing a smile that would amaze the world.

She spoke cheerfully and softly, "So, there really is a next life."