In addition to being physically exhausted, Qin Cheng had no other serious problems, and he was able to walk around normally in a matter of two days.
The agonizing struggle of being on the verge of death felt like a dream. In the dream, he couldnât free himself from the hands of the evil spirits, and only when he finally woke up, he saw that everything was over.
However, that dream was carved in his bones and engraved in his heart <sup>1</sup> .
Qin Cheng doesnât know who the evil spirit that wanted to kill him was, nor does he know why Su Jingmo wanted to save him, orâŚ. Qin Cheng could remember that he saw a blurred figure before passing out. Could it be that the one who tried to kill himâŚ. was in fact Su JingmoâŚ..?
If that was really him, then why did he want to kill Qin Cheng one moment, only to save his life right the next instant?
While lying on the bed, as long as he thought of that person, Qin Cheng couldnât stop thinking about him, as if there was something more buried deep inside his mind.
It was a strange feeling; he was curious about the ghost who still remains in the living world, and it wasnât just about the desire to discover the unknown history behind him, but also Qin Cheng had a deep attachment to Su Jingmo himself.
From the amazement he felt when he opened the sarcophagus and saw Su Jingmo for the first time, to their later encounter; whether it was his appearance, the always smiling peach blossom eyes, or the way he spoke, which was completely different from the modern people, it was that innate personality of his⌠it made Qin Cheng unable to take his eyes off him, regardless of his gender. That was the unique charm that person had.
With the literacy of the ancients and the Confucian code of ethics, he behaves in a way that reveals his outstanding charm and elegance, but also invisibly overflows with the fierce coldness that conceals it, which is probably the result of being a former Emperor.
A man such as Su Jingmo is someone whoâs always the focus of attention no matter the era heâs in. Moreover, he once held the most prestigious position of all, the imperial throne. At that time, there shouldâve been countless beautiful women following after him.
However, in fact, this man hasnât established an EmpressâŚ
When he thought of that, Qin Chengâs heart moved slightly. From his words, Qin Cheng could guess that Su Jingmo has been on the throne for at least 10 years, so if he was a young ruler, he mustâve been in his twenties. However, he didnât have an Empress at such an age? Reigning for at least 10 years without an Empress?
Throughout history, there have been very few Emperors whoâve reigned for more than a decade without an Empress; generally speaking, the Empress is appointed by the Emperor. The enthronement of an Empress was an extremely important event, to the point to be announced by an Imperial edict and celebrated by the whole country, as well as a formal and solemn Empress ceremony. If the Emperor already had a main wife before his ascension to the throne, usually he wouldnât choose another candidate, he would appoint her as the head of the Imperial harem and crown her as the Empress. However, there were also Emperors who conferred the title of Imperial concubine to their main wife first, and then someday in the future, they would promote her as the EmpressâŚ
If Su Jingmo didnât have an Empress, then that means that he didnât marry a legitimate wife when he was still the Crown Prince or a Prince. But, he didnât marry a legitimate wife for over a decade? This was completely impossible in the ancient times when a man could get married at the age of 16. Moreover, with Su Jingmoâs position, even if he didnât want to get married, once he became an Emperor, the ancient Confucian code of ethics established that before he could âget married and make a career <sup>2</sup> â he should set up filial piety <sup>3</sup> first. So, if the Confucian ethics didnât allow him to get married right away, the Officials and Ministers who wanted to send their own daughters to the Imperial Palace to give birth to his legitimate first born wouldnât agree either, for their own benefit.
Itâs hard to please everyone, and even the Emperor couldnât ignore what the Ministers had to say.
So, why didnât Su Jingmo establish an Empress? Or what was really going on at that time?
For some reason, Qin Cheng recalled the plain, unadorned golden cup, which everyone agreed was the Emperorâs favorite object, most likely, this object should belong to his beloved.
â Zhen is a man who cherishes Jade, as long as theyâre enchantingly beautiful, it doesnât matter whether theyâre a man or a woman, Zhen wonât refuse them. Itâs just that, the way you look⌠Zhen, indeed, doesnât feel like âeatingâ you. â
Qin Cheng still remembered very clearly what Su Jingmo said to him that day, and when he thought of what had happened that day, Qin Chengâs couldnât help but chuckle. Su Jingmo must have said that to ridicule him, perhaps he was a sentimental man while still alive.
However, itâs often said that the one that seems heartless, is in fact the most affectionate; and those who seem playful, are the most devoted.
Perhaps, Su Jingmo reserved the position of Empress for someone he loved. Perhaps, it was someone he wasnât allowed to love?
However, as soon as this speculation crossed over Qin Chengâs mind, he shook his head and rejected it.
âNoâŚ.â For something as unexpected and inexplicable as that crossing over his mind, Qin Cheng said to himself: âSuch a thing is impossible.â As for the reason behind such impossibility, Qin Cheng couldnât think of anything.
Of course, in addition to the issue of the Empress, Qin Cheng was equally concerned as to why that man had died so young. Whether it was due to an illness, or because of a dispute over power⌠Did the Great Xu that Su Jingmo talked about even exist in the first place? And if it did, then why did it disappear from history?
The list of unanswered questions piling up one after the other were endless. After stepping into the ancient tomb, the more he learned, the more doubts he had. Not only was he curious about the history that suddenly disappeared, but he was also curious about Su Jingmo.
After thinking about it, Qin Cheng tossed and turned on bed, and until 2am, Qin Cheng couldnât sleep at all. When he turned over, the Jade pendant beside the pillow felt warm and it looked even whiter when the moonlight, coming through the window, shone upon it; which made Qin Chengâs heart feel inexplicably calm. The engraved dragon pattern symbolized Su Jingmoâs Imperial identity, and Qin Cheng couldnât help but pick it up and gently caress the three characters engraved on the Jade pendant with his fingertips.
People believe in the spirituality of the Jade pendant, and this Jade pendant followed its master for a long time, so it was naturally stained with its masterâs aura. Transparent white, with smooth and gentle surface, just like the appearance of that man, giving the feeling of being suave and gentle as Jade. However, right in the center of the Jade, the carved Dragon flying over the clouds was also deeply engraved inside that man, overlooking everything around him without fearing any imminent storm.
âThis is the personal Jade pendant that he has been wearing all this time.â With a soft sigh such as this, this Jade pendant seemed to have left a slight imprint on Qin Chengâs heart.
The Jade pendant in his hand has been a valuable treasure for thousands of years, not to mention that after thousands of years, it was coated with a layer of historical value, which made it even more priceless.
And yet, Su Jingmo had given this treasure to himâŚ.
When he thought of the ancient tomb, at the man laughing at him, saying to him that he wanted to make a dealâŚ.
âZhen will protect you from those fierce ghosts, but youâll have to do something for Zhen⌠You will dig up the âEmpressâ Mausoleumâ. Zhen really want to know who is buried there, andâŚ.â Su Jingmo was silent for a while, then he smiled coldly and continued: âSu Jingyan, after Zhenâs death, he shouldâve been the man who succeeded the throne and found this Mausoleum for me. Zhen wants to know what happened to Great Xu after Zhen died.â
Su Jingyan⌠probably was a Royal family member from the same generation as Su Jingmo, and he shouldâve been Su Jingmoâs brother. After that, Su Jingmo didnât say anything else, and Qin Cheng was also too tired to ask more questions at the time.
However, it was also on that occasion that Qin Cheng learned that Su Jingmoâs soul couldnât leave the ancient tomb.
Qin Cheng took a deep breath and closed his eyes. â Donât think about it, donât think about it. Nothing can be done in a hurry, right now the top priority is to lift the blockade of the tomb, so that our archaeological work can continue. â
This time, his disappearance provoked the police to seal off the ancient tomb.
â We have to find a wayâŚ. â
âŚ
The young man who had been âinvitedâ to Xiâan by Jiang Ping from Beijing looked strangely at him: âIs the place youâre talking about in the northwest?â
Jiang Ping was stunned after hearing the youthâs words. The northwest really was where Ninghua Village was located: âYou know where Ninghua Village is?â
The young man shook his head and said: âHow could I know? Itâs just that the resentment coming from there is so big that it could reach the sky. Are you really not afraid of death, that youâre willing to go to that tomb?â
After confirming that the person he brought this time really understood these kinds of things, Jiang Ping said with a serious tone of voice: âThen, would you help me?â
âHelp you?â When he looked at the black miasma that ordinary people werenât able to see at the distance, the young man lowered his eyes, and after a while, he replied: âI donât dare to approach that place.â
(ă ËÂłË) âĄ
Footnotes
<ol><b>ĺťéިéĺż</b> <b>kè gÇ mĂng xÄŤn</b> ; Itâs a Chinese idiom, it refers to a memory thatâs engraved in the depths of the soul/heart. / A deep, unforgettable memory. From <b>ăä¸ĺŽĺˇćéżĺ˛äšŚă</b> ( <b>shĂ ng Än zhĹu lÇ zhÇng shÇ shĹŤ</b> ) âHistory of Li Chang in Shangan Provinceâ, written by ( <b>ćç˝</b> <b>lÇ bĂĄi</b> ) Li Bai [701-762], a poet from the Tang Dynasty [618-907]. <b>ć厜çŤä¸</b> <b>chĂŠng jiÄ lĂŹ yè</b> ; Itâs a Chinese idiom, it means that a man and a woman have married, established a family, and have a business/career, so they can give their family a stable life. From <b>ă梌粹ĺ˝Âˇć¤č´Ťćľčă</b> ( <b>mèng liĂĄng lÚ¡xĂš pĂn jĂŹ lÇo</b> ) âDream of Liang Lu: compassionately help the poor and the elderly.â, written by ( <b>ĺ´čŞç§</b> <b>wĂş zĂŹ mĂš</b> ) Wu Zimu, a writer from the late Song Dynasty [960-1279]. <b>ĺ</b> <b>xiĂ o</b> ; In Confucianism, Filial Piety is a virtue of respect for oneâs parents, elders and ancestors. So, in this case, Su Jingmo canât marry nor have children right after ascending the throne, because that would be disrespectful to his father, the late Emperor, who just died; and by showing respect, he must set up a period of mourning.</ol>