"My Lord is a Stone"《我家君王是石头》Chapter 28

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Hearing this Gao Zhen frowned, very unpleased he said, “Lord Su, I respect that you are an imperial official, but you also cannot go over the top, this is a private matter of our sect. What’s more this woman has written her will, even under our Hanzhen’s laws, outsiders cannot interfere.”

Su Qing Chen haughtily laughed once, saying, “I an Embroidered Uniform Guard is strongly favoured by the emperor, control and lead the guards, investigate and apprehend, and can act first, report later, do you think I can do it?”

Gao Zhen’s complexion paled, very unsightly, currently those nearby were believers of Tiangui, a hundred answers could reply to his single call, allowing Su Qing Chen to get here but unable to leave, however it would only be a temporary win, later when the Embroidered Uniform Guards came to settle the score at an opportune moment, it wouldn’t be enough for him to die a hundred times.

It was at this precise moment, the Xianjun suddenly opened his mouth to say, “Gao Zhen, I can see it will be quite difficult to carry out this ceremony today, since Lord Su is adamant on sticking up for this young lady, we will release the people.”

With an sickly face Gao Zhen looked at the Xianjun, the Xianjun however smiled, very magnanimously, he said, “You still don’t believe in my loyalty and dependability to the leader of the sect? I even offered up my own mother, what else can I not do?” Speaking up to here his tone changed, containing some concern, “However going against the Embroidered Uniform Guards right 

now, it truly isn’t sensible, let us first take a step back, before reorganising.”

“Humph, I hope what you’re saying is true, otherwise the sect leader will make you die without an intact corpse!” Gao Zhen said clenching his teeth.

Zhao Jin Yu was slightly sceptical, with just a few words of Su Qing Chen, these followers of a basically evil sect would release adoptive mother, when they boarded the small boat, Zhao Jin Yu turned her head to look at the lotus flower vessel, Gao Zhen looked gloomy, it was clear he was very discontent but again had no choice but bear it, and the Xianjun was still as expressionless as before, making Zhao Jin Yu unable to grasp clearly his thoughts, the two people have been together for nearly ten years, she thought she knew him very well, but in reality did she really understand him?

Chen Rong saw Zhao Jin Yu supporting a middle aged woman, her brows lightly wrinkled, saying, “This is…”

“This is my adoptive mother.” Zhao Jin Yu opened her mouth to say, “Auntie Chen, the situation is a bit complicated…” Ever since she had been rescued by Zhao Jin Yu, Lady Zhuang was like a puppet, make her walk she’ll walk, make her eat she’ll eat, now as Zhao Jin Yu introduced her she was like a block of wood emotionlessly standing there.

After Chen Rong listened to the story, she was very helpless, pointing at Su Qing Chen she said, “Jin girl, you really can stir up trouble, if it wasn’t for Lord Su extending his help, there would be one more amongst those sacred women being presented for veneration, you.” Having spoken she appeared to have a lingering fear, “Why aren’t you thanking Lord Su.”

Zhao Jin Yu was very smart, she bowed at Su Qing Chen, saying, “Many thanks Lord Su. Today us mother and daughter can only be reunited because of your Lord’s contribution, I will never forget your kindness.”

Su Qing Chen was not at all a good person with pure intentions, but it did not stop him from accepting other people’s genuine gratitude, who doesn’t like being truly liked and thanked by others? 

Besides he could sense the original invisible divide between them had disappeared. Zhao Jin Yu had also removed her mask in front of him, increasingly truthful and pure, unexpectedly making him feel 

a happiness he had not felt in a long time.

“It was no more than very slight effort, Lady Zhao don’t be polite.” Su Qing Chen’s voice was gentle, with a tender gaze.

Auntie Chen saw there was an indescribable surge of sentiment moving between the two people, she secretly cried out what bad luck, first Su Qing Chen rescued Zhao Jin Yu’s mother, now once more he had a gentle and forgiving manner, adoration of appreciation as well as a gentle low coaxing voice, when she was younger she might have been able to resist, let alone the Zhao Jin Yu who has been raised at home? She hurriedly said, “Lady Zhao, it’s already late, let us hurry on our way, if we don’t hurry we won’t find a tavern and it would be terrible to sleep outside in the countryside.”

Su Qing Chen actually very much wanted to go with them, his original assignment after all was to protect Zhao Jin Yu! However Chen Rong’s gaze was on alert, a guarding glance, allowing him to know right now was not a good opportunity, he could only forcefully say, “Be careful on the road.” Initially it was merely a very simple urging, but at this moment it revealed a some tenderness he had not felt.

After they said a few things Zhao Jin Yu then went on her way.

Chen Rong sat at the front driving the carriage, Zhao Jin Yu and Lady Zhuang sat inside the carriage, jolting along the road, cold but not saying it, the cold wind blew through the carriage window, the front entrance, rushing through all kinds of small cracks, Zhao Jin Yu was tightly wrapped in the rabbit fur cloak, seeing Lady Zhuang’s complexion paling from the cold, she passed the heater[1] in her hand to her, saying, “Mother, your body is weak, use this.” Chen Rong had only thought it was 

Zhao Jin Yu alone, that’s why she had only prepared one hand heater.

Lady Zhuang glanced at Zhao Jin Yu, that gaze was cold, she said, “I don’t need it.”

Lady Zhuang had an unyielding character, always keeping to her word, Zhao Jin Yu knew her temper, that’s why she didn’t dare to push it, she only moved to sit in front of the breezy places, thinking of blocking the wind for Lady Zhuang.

“That Lord Su has bad intentions, in the future have less involvement with him.” Lady Zhuang suddenly said.

“Mother…”

Lady Zhuang looked at Zhao Jin Yu’s confused eyes, all of a sudden she felt a little soft-hearted, saying, “When we reach the next tavern, we will part ways, from now on you are no longer a part of our Zhao family, each live our own lives.”

The rim of Zhao Jin Yu’s eyes suddenly reddened, saying, “Mother, I really don’t understand, how did things become like this, older brother why…, everything was fine before.” Zhao Jin Yu still remembers the day the incident happened, adoptive father Zhao Chang Chun asked her jesting slightly, whether or not she wanted to always live at home…, she knew that was asking her whether she was willing to marry her older brother.

She was naturally willing, almost ten years, to be precise nine years had passed, Zhao Jin Yu and adoptive father, adoptive mother, as well as brother have been together, the days passed smoothly and plentifully, even though she wasn’t certain whether her dependence on her older brother was romantic or not, but if she could pass these days like this, why would she refuse?

However who could have imagined the next day everything changed, the Zhao family’s sky collapsed.

Lady Zhuang closed her eyes, expression indifferent, a good while later Zhao Jin Yu then controlled her frame of mind, bowing her head not speaking, she had a lot of questions in her mind, why older brother and adoptive mother abandoned her, why did they say they were going to her native home of Jinling to think of ways, but end up in the Tiangui sect, why…, adoptive mother had a manner of helping older brother to succeed even if she is burnt to death? Why right now she is not Lady Zhao but Lady Zhuang?

But she knew, Lady Zhuang would not tell her, if she kept her silence she also could only endure it.

From childhood the person she was scared of the most was not adoptive father Zhao Chang Chun but adoptive mother, her gentleness seemed to only extend to adoptive father, towards older brother she was extremely strict, let alone her.

Seeing Zhao Jin Yu tuck her head in, dazed like an abandoned cub, a hesitant trace of tender-heartedness flashed through Lady Zhuang’s eyes, in the end it still became solid ice in the ice-cold winter.

Chen Rong spurred the horse to full speed, finally before the bottom of the mountain she saw a small town, after Zhao Jin Yu ate a yuxue pill her constitution had improved twice over, resistant to falls and dizziness, she did not feel unwell at all sitting in a carriage even more jolty than a ship…, besides feeling a little cold.

Now she could feel a slight movement from the stone around her neck, she knew the stone was waking up, the things that had happened today was truly too hair-raising, she had stifled it all along, now she could finally speak thoroughly with the stone, even if the stone’s words were sometimes too harsh and cruel, but it could not be denied that they were the truth, moreover it was this cruel tongue…, because the truth made her feel a kind of indescribable relieve.

However adoptive mother and Chen Rong were here, this was not the time to speak, she could only hold it in.

They entered the tavern, Chen Rong booked three rooms, she stayed in the middle room, to her left and right were Zhao Jin Yu and Lady Zhuang, after everything had been appropriately arranged, the three people ate together downstairs, Lady Zhuang conveyed her wishes to stay, she was expressionless, an extremely calm manner, “Lady Zhao and I are total strangers, even though I am grateful for Lady Zhao’s pity unable to see me die in the fire, that was however my wish, there’s nothing more to say.” Her tone on the contrary held a kind of criticism that Zhao Jin Yu had meddled in other people’s business.

Chen Rong glanced at Zhao Jin Yu with a desolate expression, her thoughts were also hard to calm, she said, “That’s right, I’ve already previously told Lady Zhao a person cannot be too kind, she however never listened to me, who would have imagined she would surprisingly ruin Lady Zhuang’s plans, otherwise Lady Zhuang would now be in heaven, as a sacred woman of the god, living freely and at leisure.” Speaking up to here her tone changed, it was very mocking, “If something is to be blamed then it could only be that Lady Zhuang looks too much like Lady Zhao’s adoptive mother, who could remain calm seeing their adoptive mother about to be burned to death? Since Lady 

Zhuang’s mind has been made up, we won’t force you to stay.”

Each word of Chen Rong’s stabbed, if it was a normal person they would have long ago been unable to stand against the insults, but Lady Zhuang appeared to not care, serenely she said, “Thank you two.” Afterwards she did not want to speak.

Zhao Jin Yu only felt her eyes quiver but there wasn’t a drop of tear, it was like there was a hole in her heart…, she knew the years of mother and daughter feelings had already at last come to an end here.

At first Chen Rong was not so angry that it was unbearable, but in the end seeing such an unmoved Lady Zhuang, and a dispirited Zhao Jin Yu, she sighed, not speaking again.

After entering the room, Zhao Jin Yu took the stone out.

The emperor ate the old duck vermicelli soup that Zhao Jin Yu had deliberately taken upstairs, however his eyes revolved around Zhao Jin Yu’s face, he said, “What happened when we were not here?”

Zhao Jin Yu was stifling a bellyful of worries, hearing the stone’s sweet and familiar voice, she unconsciously told him everything, “Thanks to Lord Su…, actually he’s a really good person, I was prejudice against him before.” Immediately her manner of speaking changed, she disappointedly said, “Tell me if there’s anything trustworthy in the world? Is nine years of relationship merely a play in their minds?” Zhao Jin Yu was talking about Lady Zhuang’s and her older brother’s heartlessness.

The emperor heard Zhao Jin Yu praise Su Qing Chen, his mind was very upset, he only wished he could tell Zhao Jin Yu he had ordered Su Qing Chen…, if not on the basis of Su Qing Chen’s character of not doing anything unless profitable, how would he have treated her a young lonely woman so well with no cause or reason? However these words could not be spoken, restraining his temper, he said, “Even your adoptive mother turned hostile and heartless, let alone a total stranger Su Qing Chen? Is your brain packed with grass? Why don’t you use your brain, he must certainly have some scheme!”

Zhao Jin Yu, QAQ

Seeing Zhao Jin Yu’s tearful eyes, once again the emperor’s heart softened, he didn’t know what was going on with this girl recently…, not retorting when angry, just looking like this wanting to cry but not cry, he felt unquestionably distressed, forgetting everything.

“That Tiangui sect is an evil cult, since your older brother has already entered it, then he is no longer who he was before…, rescuing your adoptive mother today can be considered as having helped him, their kindness to you has also been written off with one stroke.” The emperor spoke taking his time.

Zhao Jin Yu felt the stone’s voice contained some sense of soothing, she couldn’t help say, “En, at that time…, when I saw the person beside the Xianjun my face turned green, those believers blocked the way, like a demon, do you think they will retaliate?”

“You can at last be considered to have matured a little, the way you slapped their faces today, how could they resign themselves? They certainly will retaliate, but today you can sleep at ease, nothing will happen.”

Zhao Jin Yu increasingly felt the stone was extremely tender and domineering today, in spite of him still being soaked in the vermicelli soup, lowering her head she kissed it, rubbing her lips full of grease, but because under the illumination of the lantern it looked even shinier and transparent.

The emperor had to use all abilities to regain his mind from Zhao Jin Yu’s lips, he only felt a ripple of unknown undulate in his chest, making him feel a trace of sweet feeling.

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