CHAPTER 1275: CHAPTER 1275: THE STATE PRECEPTOR’S IDENTITY, THE EMPEROR’S SOUL RETURNS TO THE NINTH HEAVEN

Xiao Jun’an, sitting on the imperial throne, had a handsome face that had grown thin, with a tall and slender man of leisurely and indolent demeanor standing beside him.

This man was very good-looking, with fair skin and eyes like stars, and his whole body was enveloped in an aura of spirituality.

This person was indeed the State Preceptor of the Daqian Kingdom. If Huo Yuning were here, she would be shocked.

To prevent monopolization and chaotic politics, Xiao Jun’an appointed the Grand Tutor, General Su Yongming, and the Duke of Mu as assistant ministers, granting the Empress the right to preside over the court behind the curtains.

The officials in the court were dumbfounded, as this seemed to be a matter of preparing for the aftermath.

"Cough cough..." Xiao Jun’an clutched a bright yellow brocade handkerchief to his mouth, coughing violently.

Glancing at the bloodstains on the handkerchief, he ignored the officials who had come to their senses and begged him to rescind the decree of installing the Crown Prince, reaching out his hand to Anjin.

The latter immediately stepped forward to support the frail Emperor as he stepped down from the throne.

Anjin’s apprentice stepped forward to announce the end of the court session.

Dark clouds filled the sky, dotted with light snowflakes — the first snow of this winter had arrived.

Xiao Jun’an, propped up in bed, gazed absently at the snowflakes outside the window, his voice low and hoarse, "Anjin, go summon the Crown Prince here."

"Your servant obeys the decree."

Eunuch Anjin glanced at the State Preceptor standing by the bed, his eyes slightly red as he left the sleeping quarters.

Xiao Jun’an withdrew his gaze from the window, focusing it instead on the man standing beside the bed, "State Preceptor, how many more hours do I have?"

The State Preceptor’s voice was clear and cool: "Less than one hour."

Upon hearing this, the corners of Xiao Jun’an’s lips curled up slightly.

With his hair draped loosely over his shoulders, he leaned against the bed and asked meaningfully, "The Empress has tried several times to see you, but you’ve deliberately avoided her.

Now that I am dying, can you finally reveal to me the origin and true identity of the Empress?"

The State Preceptor seemed to chuckle, making himself comfortable by sitting on the dragon bed.

Staring at the Emperor leaning against the head of the bed, he spoke teasingly, "What difference does it make now that you are dying?"

Xiao Jun’an confronted his probing gaze and calmly said, "The Empress is the only one who has moved my heart in these thirty years. I cannot depart with regrets."

"Ha!" laughed the State Preceptor. "Your Majesty, do you actually believe what you just said?"

Xiao Jun’an’s eyelids drooped slightly, his thin lips curving into a tender smile.

Seeing his silent figure, the State Preceptor lost some of his interest and casually said, "Do you still remember Mr. Huo, who could write to pacify the world and mount a horse to determine the fate of Daqian?"

Xiao Jun’an showed a look of surprise, "Mr. Huo?"

Suddenly, he realized that Huo Yuning shared the same surname as Mr. Huo, and a very subtle guess formed in his mind.

The State Preceptor, as if troubled by something, turned and held his forehead, "Anuan is his daughter, and if you were an ordinary person and went to the Underworld after death, perhaps you might meet your father-in-law in name. Sadly, you won’t have that chance."

Xiao Jun’an frowned, "Mr. Huo passed away less than three years ago, where did this daughter come from?"

If he remembered correctly, Mr. Huo seemed even younger than him.

The State Preceptor replied lazily, "Anuan is the beloved treasure in the hands of the Lord of Fengdu, the Little Princess of the Netherworld.

That is all I can say. The Little Princess came to Daqian this time both to help you through your tribulation and to face her own."

As they spoke, Eunuch Anjin led a seven- or eight-year-old boy, dressed in Crown Prince robes, into the sleeping chamber.

The Little Crown Prince knelt before the dragon bed, respectfully kowtowing, "Jinzhi pays homage to Uncle Emperor."

With a weak voice, Xiao Jun’an said, "Jinzhi, rise."

"Thank you, Uncle Emperor."

The Little Crown Prince stood, his calm and composed eyes scrutinizing his beautiful uncle leaning on the dragon bed.

When he noticed the bloodstains at the corner of his lips, a trace of worry flooded the boy’s eyes.

Xiao Jun’an waved his hand at the State Preceptor, "You may leave now; I don’t wish to see you."

Learning that Huo Yuning was the Little Princess of the Netherworld didn’t seem to greatly surprise him.

What clashed with his feelings was the realization that the Empress was Mr. Huo’s daughter.

He had met Mr. Huo too late, they were both teacher and friend.

Without knowing Huo Yuning’s identity, he had unwittingly bound her to himself. This guilty feeling was very subtle.

The State Preceptor, not at all offended by being asked to leave, got up smilingly and left.

His smile vanished completely when he saw Huo Yuning standing outside the sleeping quarters.

Huo Yuning glanced sideways at the State Preceptor and sneered coldly, "So this is why the State Preceptor of Daqian always avoided me. It’s you, the Ghost Emperor Chu Zifeng."

Chu Zifeng showed a wry smile and bowed, "Greetings, Princess."

Huo Yuning was in no mood to parley with him.

Uneasy, her gaze turned toward the bedchamber as she bluntly asked, "Which old fellow from the heavens is inside? Did I come to Daqian to accompany him through his tribulation, or to face my own?"

Huo Yuning wasn’t a naïve and sweet fool. Chu Zifeng being here was definitely arranged by her father.

To have her father dispatch the leading Ghost Emperor of the five directions, Xiao Jun’an’s background couldn’t be simple.

The man was on the brink of death, yet in the distant eastern sky, golden light flashed, and Spiritual Energy thick and rampant as if welcoming a ceremony.

Huo Yuning stretched out her hand to catch the flakes of snow drifting down from the sky, scoffing to herself.

The bizarre sight before her eyes left her with nothing unclear.

Chu Zifeng, following Huo Yuning’s gaze to the vast gold in the east, said earnestly, "Little Princess, I cannot divulge the identity of this person."

Huo Yuning didn’t press for answers, responding with a cold laugh, "When he dies, can I return?"

Chu Zifeng thought, even if you wish to stay, the Emperor and Empress would most likely not agree.

He didn’t speak, but nodded affirmatively.

Huo Yuning’s mood became increasingly agitated, her peripheral vision occasionally glancing toward the bedchamber.

Chu Zifeng, as if unaware of her subtle thoughts, bowed with folded hands, "Princess, if there’s nothing else, I shall take my leave. We shall meet again in the Netherworld."

After the departure of the Ghost Emperor, he considered his mission accomplished and would not linger in Daqian.

"Go ahead."

Huo Yuning waved at him, her feet rooted to the spot, unwilling to budge.

Not long after Chu Zifeng’s departure, the Crown Prince emerged from the bedchamber alone.

The little guy’s eyes were red with tears. On seeing Huo Yuning, he quickly approached and dutifully bowed, "Jinzhi pays respects to the Royal Aunt."

The choked babble carried a hint of sorrow and distress.

Having stayed in Weiyang Palace for nearly three months, Huo Yuning could not warm up to the Crown Prince, responding with a chilly detachment.

She seemed to have something on her mind, her entire being emitting an unknowing air of depressurization.

Inside the Emperor’s bedchamber.

Xiao Jun’an seemed aware of Huo Yuning outside, his increasingly dull eyes intently staring outside without blinking.

In his distinctively knuckled hand, he held a bright yellow brocade handkerchief embroidered with a Phoenix.

The handkerchief was clearly not his usual accessory; it was an intimate item of a woman.

Xiao Jun’an’s breathing was rapid and faint as the quietness of the bedchamber was broken by a slightly hoarse laugh, "I’ve always felt that this handkerchief has a scent of milk."

Eunuch Anjin bowed his head in response, "The Empress has been fond of milk candies lately."

Xiao Jun’an’s indifferent gaze softened, "To this day, I still don’t know the Empress’s age."

His voice became unstable, his speech breathless and unclear.

Eunuch Anjin knelt before the dragon bed, his voice choked, "To answer Your Majesty, the Empress is just eighteen years old."

Xiao Jun’an closed his eyes briefly, speaking slowly, "She’s still a little girl, indeed. I’ve made her suffer."

For the first time, he felt some regret for leaving that delicate girl in the deep palace.

After a long while, Xiao Jun’an said weakly, "Anjin, I’ve left a blank Imperial Decree behind the plaque, send it to Weiyang Palace after I depart."

"As your servant obeys—"

This was Eunuch Anjin’s last command.

Xiao Jun’an’s hand clutching the handkerchief fell, and the woman-scented bright yellow brocade handkerchief fluttered to the ground.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty—"

Eunuch Anjin crawled forward, crying out in despair.

Standing outside the door, Huo Yuning heard the sobbing and knew Xiao Jun’an had passed away.

Subconsciously, she began to search the surroundings for his wraith.

Suddenly, the overcast sky cloaked in clouds was rapidly consumed by the resplendent gold from the east.

With the falling snow halted, the sound of ancient elegant music emerged.

A streak of light shot out from the Emperor’s bedchamber, racing toward the distant eastern horizon.

The streak of light, as if sensing Huo Yuning’s presence, turned back to encircle her once before speeding away toward the east shrouded in rich golden light.

The soul of the Emperor ascended to the Ninth Heaven, and she should also depart.

Huo Yuning put away her frustrated emotions, instructing Tuo Qing beside her, "Go to Zhongchui Palace and summon Su Yongming, and that Little Eunuch named Achang."

"Yes!"

After Tuo Qing’s departure, Huo Yuning looked up once more at the sky - the golden radiance had completely vanished.