L.F-Hist.Novelist Chapter 261 Zhao Qingxue panicked; she had actually gained a sense of security from Qin Mu?
Chapter 261 Zhao Qingxue panicked; she had actually gained a sense of security from Qin Mu?
Yunluan's pupils contracted slightly.
The person I trust most.
These words, like a thunderclap, cleaved through the chaotic fog in her heart.
She stared blankly at Qin Mu, at his serious face, which showed no sign of joking.
Her eyes had reddened without her noticing.
Those things she had never dared to hope for, never dared to imagine, never dared to touch—
At this moment, it is growing wildly in her heart.
She opened her mouth.
What do you want to say?
She wanted to express her gratitude, to show her loyalty, and to say those obsequious words she knew by heart.
But he couldn't utter a single word at that moment.
Only tears flowed silently.
Tears streamed down her cold, stern face, one drop after another.
It fell onto the bluestone slab underfoot, leaving a small, dark stain.
She quickly lowered her head, trying to hide it.
But Qin Mu's hand gently supported her chin, preventing her from dodging.
"What?" he asked, his voice soft, with a hint of amusement, "You don't want to?"
Yunluan quickly shook her head.
It was shaken like a rattle drum.
"Of course not!" she blurted out, her voice trembling with urgency. "It would be the greatest honor for me!"
As soon as she spoke, Yunluan's blush deepened.
She quickly lowered her eyes, not daring to look at him.
But the slight upturn of her lips betrayed her true feelings.
Qin Mu looked at her like this and smiled gently.
He didn't say anything more.
He simply withdrew his hand, turned around, and continued walking forward.
The moonlight shone on his pale white silhouette, making him stand out clearly.
Yunluan stood there, gazing at that retreating figure.
An unprecedented warmth welled up in my heart.
The warmth rose from the bottom of her heart and spread to her limbs and bones, making her feel warm all over.
She took a deep breath.
He took a step and followed.
When she reached Qin Mu's side, she lagged slightly behind, maintaining the proper distance for a guard.
But the slight upturn of her lips couldn't be suppressed.
Qin Mu seemed to sense her emotions.
He didn't turn around, but simply said:
"Let's go see Her Majesty the Empress."
Yunluan nodded.
"Yes," she said.
Her voice remained clear and cool, but it was softer than usual.
The two walked side by side along the long palace road, heading towards Qingxin Pavilion.
The moonlight followed them all the way, casting their shadows on the ground, where they intertwined.
The night breeze swept by, lifting the hems of their clothes.
A few beats of the night watchman's drum came from afar.
It's Hai hour (9-11 PM).
The night was still very deep.
And the tenderness of that night will forever be etched in Yunluan's heart.
It became one of the most precious memories of her life.
……
Qingxin Pavilion.
The lights were still on.
Zhao Qingxue sat by the window, gazing at the deep night outside.
She had been sitting like that for a long time.
From the time Qin Mu left until now.
She didn't move.
The candlelight flickered across her face, casting her stunning beauty in shifting light and shadow.
Those deep purple phoenix eyes were now filled with complex emotions.
Footsteps could be heard in the distance.
It's very light and very stable.
Zhao Qingxue's eyelashes trembled slightly.
She didn't turn around.
I just sat there quietly, waiting.
The footsteps grew closer.
Finally, it stopped at the door.
The door was pushed open.
Moonlight streamed in from outside the door, illuminating the pale figure.
Qin Mu stood at the doorway, his hands behind his back.
The moonlight shone in from behind him, making his entire figure exceptionally clear.
Those deep eyes were fixed on her.
With a smile.
Meaningful.
"Your Majesty," he began, his voice soft, "is it still waiting for me so late?"
Zhao Qingxue slowly turned around.
Meet his gaze.
In those deep purple phoenix eyes, there was no fear, no resistance, no resentment.
There was only peace.
It was as calm as a stagnant pool.
"I'll wait for you," she said.
The sound was very soft and faint.
Qin Mu looked at her like this and smiled gently.
He stepped into the hall.
Behind him, the palace doors closed softly.
It blocked out the moonlight and also the outside world.
Inside the hall, only the two of them remained.
The candlelight flickered, casting shadows that danced in the light.
Qin Mu walked up to her and stopped.
He looked down at her.
Zhao Qingxue raised her head and met his gaze.
Eyes facing each other.
Silence spread between the two.
for a long time.
Qin Mu extended his hand.
Long, slender fingers gently brushed across her cheek.
The touch was slightly cool and delicate, like cream.
Zhao Qingxue did not dodge.
She simply stood there quietly, letting him touch her.
Looking at her like this, Qin Mu's smile deepened.
"I have already sent the letter out," he said.
Zhao Qingxue's eyelashes trembled slightly.
But she didn't say anything.
She just kept watching him.
Zhao Qingxue raised her head.
Moonlight streamed in through the window, casting dappled shadows on her face.
That peerless face, now half-lit and half-shadowed, mirrored her complex and indescribable state of mind.
She looked at the man standing in front of her.
He stood three steps in front of her, his moon-white robe gleaming warmly in the night.
Those deep eyes were fixed on her, smiling gently and profoundly.
Behind him was the half-open window, through which lay the deep night and the cold moonlight.
He stood there quietly, like the most majestic palace in the deepest palace, unmoved as a mountain, yet taking in everything.
Zhao Qingxue looked at him, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside her.
hatred.
This is the clearest and strongest emotion.
She hated him.
They hated him so much they gritted their teeth; they hated him to the core.
It was him who ruined everything for her.
The phantom formed by the Emperor Taizu's decree, the most powerful trump card of the Li Yang royal family in three hundred years, was crushed by him as easily as brushing away dust.
Her meticulously planned strategy, her proud wisdom, vanished like a child's sandcastle on the beach before his absolute power, all in the face of a single wave.
She was kidnapped, imprisoned, and humiliated.
He was hung up and beaten by that vulgar woman called Sister Hong. She hit him repeatedly with a wooden stick and slapped him until his face was unrecognizable.
Those humiliating scenes, every frame of them, are etched into her mind like a brand, never to be erased.
And he was the one who caused all of this.
Qin Mu.
The man standing in front of her.
She should hate him.
I hate it to the core, to the blood, to every single cell.
She truly hated it.
But at this moment, looking at his smiling, handsome face...
She suddenly realized that there was something else mixed in with that hatred.
What is that?
Zhao Qingxue herself couldn't explain it.
All she knew was that it all began the moment he killed Sister Hong.
A feeling she had never experienced before welled up inside her.
The feeling was so unfamiliar that she could hardly recognize it.
But it does exist.
That is--
sense of security.
She has never felt safe since her mother passed away when she was eight years old.
Zhao Qingxue closed her eyes.
Countless images flashed through my mind.
When she was eight years old, her mother lay on her sickbed, holding her hand, her voice weak but gentle:
"Qingxue, after your mother passes away, you will be the princess of Liyang. From now on, you will have to walk your own path."
She nodded, holding back her tears, not daring to cry out loud.
After her mother passed away, she was sent to the Imperial Ancestral Temple and knelt alone before the memorial tablet of Emperor Taizu for three days and three nights.
No one was there for her, no one comforted her, and no one asked her if her knees hurt.
At the age of thirteen, she participated in court politics for the first time and was reprimanded by a senior member of the imperial clan in court for "interfering in politics and being a hen crowing at dawn."
She retreated to her palace and sat there all night clutching the imperial edict issued by the founding emperor.
When I got up at dawn, there was no trace of hesitation in my eyes.
At the age of fifteen, she began to secretly plot and gradually consolidate power.
Over the years, she witnessed too many people's true colors.
Some people flattered her to her face, but then turned around and sided with her rival.
Some people claim to be loyal, but secretly they're plotting to bring her down.
Some people greeted her with smiles, but their eyes held a deep hatred that wished they could tear her to pieces.
She learned to read people, to scheme, and to dance on the edge of a knife.
I also learned—
I no longer trust anyone.
On the day he ascended the throne at the age of twenty, he was adorned with a crown and all the officials paid homage to him.
She sat on the dragon throne, looking down at the kneeling figures below her.
There was no joy or excitement in my heart.
There is only one kind of loneliness that penetrates to the very marrow of one's bones.
From that moment on, she knew.
In this world, no one can protect her.
She can only rely on herself.
That's exactly how she's lived for the past five years.
Every step was taken with extreme caution, and every decision was carefully considered.
She pulled through.
She managed Liyang so well that those who were waiting to see her fail shut their mouths.
But at this moment.
Standing by the window of this deep palace, gazing at the man before her.
She suddenly realized—
So this is what it feels like to be protected.
You don't need to think about anything, you don't need to worry about anything, and you don't need to scheme about anything.
All you have to do is stand there, let him lead you, and follow him.
Everything was arranged by him.
This feeling is very unfamiliar.
It was so unfamiliar that she felt at a loss.
But... it's very good.
It was so wonderful that she almost wanted to drown in it and never wake up again.
Absurd, utterly absurd.
Zhao Qingxue couldn't believe that she had actually found a sense of security in Qin Mu.
Zhao Qingxue's eyelashes trembled slightly.
She opened her eyes.
My gaze fell on his face again.
He looked at her the same way, with a smile, gentle and profound.
As if waiting for something.
Zhao Qingxue's heart skipped a beat.
At this time,
Qin Mu continued, his voice soft, yet each word clear:
"From this day forward, you will be my Empress."
His fingers slid down her cheek and landed on her shoulder.
Patted it gently.
The movement was very light, yet it carried an undeniable certainty.
Zhao Qingxue looked at him.
Looking at his smiling, ever-composed face.
Suddenly, she smiled.
The smile was faint, almost invisible in the candlelight.
"Qin Mu," she said softly, "are you sure?"
Qin Mu raised an eyebrow.
"Are you sure about what?"
Zhao Qingxue looked at him and said, word by word:
"I'm certain I'll willingly be your queen."
Qin Mu looked at her, at the complex emotions in her deep purple phoenix eyes.
She smiled softly.
"I'm not sure," he said.
He paused, his gaze deep and unfathomable:
"But I am willing to wait."
Zhao Qingxue remained silent for a moment.
Then she nodded.
"Then let's wait," she said.
The sound was very soft, yet it was exceptionally clear in the quiet hall.
Qin Mu looked at her, his smile deepening.
He didn't say anything more.
He simply reached out and took her hand.
The force was light, yet it left no room for refusal.
Zhao Qingxue let him hold her hand.
The two stood side by side by the window, gazing at the deep night outside.
The moonlight shone on the two of them, casting their shadows on the ground, where they intertwined.
A few beats of the night watchman's drum came from afar.
It's midnight.
The night was deep and the dew was heavy outside the window; the distant sound of the drum could be heard, indicating that it was already three-quarters past midnight.
Zhao Qingxue's eyelashes trembled slightly.
As the night deepened, the moonlight bathed everything in the palace in a hazy, silvery glow.
But Qin Mu is still standing here.
They have no intention of leaving.
Could it be that he's going to stay here tonight?
Zhao Qingxue's fingers tightened slightly inside her sleeve.
Her gaze remained fixed on the window, but her voice was deliberately kept as calm as still water:
"It's late, time to rest."
The words were spoken cryptically, but the meaning was quite clear.
It's time to go.
But Qin Mu only chuckled softly when he heard this.
The laughter was soft, yet exceptionally clear in the silent hall, carrying a hint of amusement.
"What's wrong?"
He turned slightly to the side, his gaze falling on her face. "You really want me to leave?"