C19

Due to the two of them battling in the dark, their footsteps became slow. The short path that the two of them walked for a full hour made Ling'er, who was behind them, stop as she walked.

However, it was no coincidence that Xuanyuan Jie and Xuanyuan Ye, who were happily chatting not too far away, were also walking over.

The two brothers quickly locked onto Xuanyuan Jie and his tiny figure. Xuanyuan Ye thoughtfully stopped in his tracks while Xuanyuan Jie went up to them and respectfully greeted them without any hesitation.

"Second brother pays his respects to royal brother and sister-in-law!" Lifting his head, Xuanyuan Jie's gaze unhesitatingly fell upon that tiny and beautiful face, sizing her up from top to bottom with a malicious expression.

"Yes!" With a wave of his hand, he was too lazy to bother with Xuanyuan Jie. However, when he noticed Xuanyuan Jie's small gaze, his vigilance was immediately raised.

Xiaoxiao also felt very uncomfortable under such gazes. Lowering her head, she pinched Xuanyuan Zhi's hand with a pleading look.

Xuanyuan Qi gave her a small, calm look and intentionally lifted her hand, kissing the back of her hand in an ambiguous manner. Only then did he embrace his intimately and slowly open his mouth, "My beloved concubine, it's getting late. Don't let royal father and mother wait too long." Finished speaking, he pulled her small hand and walked in front of Xuanyuan Jie, not giving him any face at all.

Passing Xuanyuan Jie, passing by Xuanyuan Ye, his small eyes rested on Xuanyuan Ye for a moment. The moment her eyes passed by, she saw a very strange feeling appear in his eyes.

Calm, familiar, more intimate.

However, such a short gaze still did not escape Xuanyuan Zhi's eyes, and he tried his best to not let his expression change. Suppressing the anger in his heart, he quickened his pace by a lot.

At this moment, Xuanyuan Jie, who was behind them, was already fuming with rage. Gritting his teeth, he stared at the back of Xuanyuan Zhi and memorized the hatred between them.

The long corridor was deep and quiet. The distance between the group grew wider and wider, and they were almost at the Blue Dragon Hall's rear garden when they saw Xuanyuan Jie and Xuanyuan Ye increase their pace to catch up.

In the back garden, although it was not as hot as spring, there were still many flowers competing with each other. It was the same for the beauties in the garden. Of course, the ones who attracted the most attention were the empress and Imperial Concubine Mei beside Xuanyuan Zhenhua.

While hugging each other, Xuanyuan Zhenhua's face was filled with a rare smile of happiness. It was indeed rare for two women to be so calm and collected like this in the past.

Upon entering the sect, Xuanyuan Qi and Xiaoxiao showed a small smile on their faces. Their small, bright smiles made them look even more charming and flirtatious. Under Xuanyuan Zhi's lead, the two of them arrived before the trio and cupped their hands in greeting, "To Imperial Father, Empress and Imperial Mother, my dear!" Good! "Alright!" Xuanyuan Zhenhua looked at his son's wife, satisfied beyond belief.

Thinking about it, he had been absent from the palace for the past few days. Many things were done by Qi'er, who looked much thinner than before. However, what worried him the most was their relationship. Before he even returned to the palace, there were already rumors of discord between the two. Now that it seemed like that wasn't the case, his heart was much more at ease.

"Has Xiaoxiao gotten used to the Azure Dragon's life?" Imperial Concubine Mei, who was also worried about her son and daughter-in-law, looked at the blushing little girl with a kind face. Her tone sounded very friendly.

"Little Empress Dowager Xie cares. The crown prince has been taking good care of her these days. Please don't worry, Imperial Father and Imperial Mother." She slightly bowed and spoke very politely, but in her heart, she was constantly cursing.

Towards this small lie of his, Xuanyuan Qi was extremely astonished. The feeling of being unable to guess the truth made him feel a trace of danger. Still, there was a happy smile on his face. Because, this was for the Xuanyuan brothers and that damned empress to see. This made him slightly grateful towards Xiaoxiao.

The same lie had slipped past Xuanyuan Ye and Xuanyuan Jie's ears, making them feel completely different. Xuanyuan Jie clenched his fists even tighter. Xuanyuan Ye unconsciously creased his brows. He shared the same opinion that this woman was truly too unexpected.

The empress who was gloating at Xiao Xiao's misfortune had cold water poured on his. He looked at Xiao Xiao's fake face and thought to himself, "Looks at his in a new light."

"Father has been absent for the past few days, but it has been hard on you." His father, Xuanyuan Zhenhua, was brimming with the joy of being reunited with his loved ones. He did not notice the superfluous expressions on their faces and carefully examined the emaciated Qi'er. His tone was filled with concern.

"It's a blessing to be able to work for our country. Where is the hard work?" Xuanyuan Zhi regained his senses and hurriedly replied his royal father.

"Good!" "Alright!" Xuanyuan Zhenhua gave a round of applause, but his face had a look of reminiscence, and he said, "Royal father has been thinking about many things these past few days, since you are all adults, Royal father should rest. Therefore, royal father has decided that after the rouge hall is rebuilt, royal father will announce to the world that Qi'er will succeed the throne. " Resurrection of the rouge hall? " Almost everyone's eyes were filled with astonishment. Their focus was not on the ascension of Xuanyuan Qi, but on the rouge hall.

This was a scene that Xuanyuan Zhenhua had not expected. Facing the questioning gazes of the crowd, his heart had long since been unable to conceal the surging pressure within him. The scenes from the past were reflected in his mind like flowing lights.

Looking into the distance, his aged eyes were filled with sadness. Tears were flowing from his red eyes. After sniffing, he closed his eyes and let out a long sigh before opening them again.

At this moment, he also knew what was on everyone's minds. The jealousy on the two women's faces, the suspicion on their sons' faces, and the fear on the palace maids and eunuchs' faces.

The past was like a dream. Although it was cruel, it had already left an indelible mark in his memories, so he was unable to erase it.