Chapter 97

Duanmu Xue took a look at the nervous Huangfu Che and patted his hand, saying, “Don’t be nervous. Father will forgive us.”

No parents didn’t love their children. Huangfu Cang must be looking forward to his son’s return!

Hearing Duanmu Xue’s comfort, Huangfu Che felt a bit relieved and then got off the carriage, holding Duanmu Xue’s hand.

Seeing the familiar things here, Huangfu Che had tears in his eyes again. He was back. It had been 16 years. Now, he was finally back in this place that carried his countless memories and sentiments.

Duanmu Xi and Xuanyuan Mo also got off their carriage when the royal carriage stopped.

Duanmu Xi looked around and found that the imperial palace here was different from that of the Zhuque Empire. They were both magnificent and grand. Yet, the imperial palace of the Qinglong Empire looked solemn and respectful while that of the Zhuque Empire displayed an air of passion and ebullience.

Another distinctive feature lay in the pattern of the cyan dragons visible everywhere. The eaves carved out of the sandalwood were vividly decorated with two cyan dragons. The dragons were so lifelike that they seemed to rise and fly to the sky. The big red pillars made of phoebe zhennan wood were all engraved with the winding and lively cyan dragons, which looked rather spectacular. Even the golden glazed tile roof was embellished with big cyan dragons.

Cyan dragons couldn’t be seen in the imperial palace of the Zhuque Empire. Everywhere were various patterns of Rosefinch there.

Duanmu Xi raised her head and looked at the hall ahead. It was a resplendent and magnificent building with carved beams and painted rafters. The four corners of the hall curled up high, which were all decorated with the pattern of cyan dragons. It was splendid and grand indeed. Above the top of the red-lacquered gate, there was a black plaque made of phoebe zhennan wood, which wrote–Longxing Hall.

“Empress of the Zhuque Empire and Fifth Prince, please come to meet His Majesty.”

As the eunuch chanted, Duanmu Xue and the three other people all entered the Longxing Hall.

The interior of the hall was also furnished with glittering articles of gold and jade, which was rather luxurious. A big bright pearl hung at the ceiling of the hall, glistening like the bright moon.

Duanmu Xi looked up at the emperor dressed in the dragon robe sitting on the innermost throne in the hall. He looked more than fifty years old. Because of the distance, she couldn’t see him clearly and only felt that he was very majestic.

Two women wearing the palace costume were seated on the right side of the emperor, who should be consorts. Likewise, she couldn’t see them clearly either.

While walking, Duanmu Xi kept peeping around out of the corner of her eyes. There were not many people in the hall, including men and women, the old and the young. They must be the imperial family members because she saw several familiar people–Huangfu Yu, Prince Ning and Commandery Princess Jiayi.

While Duanmu Xi was looking at these people, they were also observing her and the others who came inside with her. However, most of them cast their eyes at Duanmu Xue and Huangfu Che who walked in front. They were excited, jealous, happy or confused.

At the moment, Huangfu Che only gazed at Huangfu Cang sitting on the throne.

The moment he saw Huangfu Che, Huangfu Cang’s eyes became moist instantly. Yet, his face was still etched with nothing.

Staring at his father, who used to be heroic and spirited but now had grey hair at the temples, Huangfu Che felt so sad and couldn’t refrain from shedding tears.

“Father.” He flicked the hemline of his clothes and then directly knelt.

Hearing his son calling him again, Huangfu Cang finally looked thrilled now.

Seeing Huangfu Che like this, Duanmu Xue had mixed feelings of pity, affection, guilt, self-condemnation and thrill.

Having taken a look at Huangfu Cang on the throne, Duanmu Xue put her left hand on her chest and slightly bowed to Huangfu Cang, “Greetings, Emperor of the Qinglong Empire.”

Huangfu Cang glanced at Duanmu Xue and waved his hand to let her rise, “Empress of the Zhuque Empire, please drop the formalities.”

After saying that, he ordered the eunuch aside, “Offer a chair for the empress.”

Hearing that, the eunuch immediately carried a chair over and put it behind Duanmu Xue but she didn’t sit down and still stood next to Huangfu Che.

She greeted Huangfu Cang as the empress so she couldn’t kneel. Yet, neither did she want to see Huangfu Che kneel there. She must be here for him. If he was kneeling, she must stand by his side.

As Duanmu Xue just wouldn’t sit down, Huangfu Cang frowned. This woman was of the same status as him but she was also his daughter-in-law.

At first, he hated her indeed because she took his favorite son away from him. Afterward, various rumors came from the Zhuque Empire. He was grateful to her because she was really nice to his son.

As an emperor, he knew what it took to be an emperor most. Lots of people looked forward to spending their life with their only love but that was not what an emperor should do. Nevertheless, she did it for Che.

Huangfu Cang took another look at Huangfu Che who was still kneeling on the ground and heaved a sigh, “Get up. Don’t kneel.”

After all, Huangfu Che was his favorite son. He couldn’t bear to see his son keep kneeling like this either.

Hearing that, Huangfu Che raised his head to look at Huangfu Cang and recognized that the latter sincerely wanted him to rise. Then, he finally wore a smile, “Thank you, father.”

After rising, Huangfu Che seemed to think of something and then turned to look at Duanmu Xi behind him, “Xi, come and greet your grandpa.”

Now, Duanmu Xi couldn’t hear Huangfu Che’s words at all. For the moment, all she could see, hear and think about was that familiar face.

“Xi?” Huangfu Che felt something wrong with Duanmu Xi and called her gently again.

Duanmu Xue also felt Duanmu Xi’s anomaly and then called her in a low voice too, “Xi…”

Only Xuanyuan Mo didn’t say or do anything. Actually, he had long found that Duanmu Xi looked weird but it shouldn’t be a bad thing, because he could feel the tremendous joy on her. And her anomaly should have something to do with the man up there.

Duanmu Xi stared dully at Huangfu Cang sitting on the throne and couldn’t hear any sound around her. She couldn’t see anything but that familiar figure. She even couldn’t help walking to the man she had missed for five years.

“Xi…” Huangfu Che saw Duanmu Xi’s dull face and wanted to stop her but he was stopped by Xuanyuan Mo.

Seeing Xuanyuan Mo shake his head at him, Huangfu Che finally slowly put down his hand. Yet, he still gazed at Duanmu Xi with worry.

When Huangfu Cang saw clearly Duanmu Xi’s appearance, he immediately stood up with excitement. He became much more excited than when he saw Huangfu Che.

Not only Huangfu Cang but also his two old consorts and Eunuch Wang were staring at Duanmu Xi in shock.

The imperial family members all stared at Duanmu Xi and Huangfu Cang in perplexity. They had no idea what they were excited about.

Only Prince Xuan looked at Duanmu Xi’s beautiful appearance and mumbled, “Mother.”

Prince Xuan’s voice was very gentle but Princess Consort Xuan next to him did hear it. She turned to look at Duanmu Xi who was walking to the throne, her eyes glittering with confusion.

Shortly, Duanmu Xi stepped on the jade stairs. The palace servants looked at the thrilled emperor and none of them dared to go forward to stop Duanmu Xi.

Duanmu Xi threw herself into Huangfu Cang’s arms, “Grandpa, I miss you so much.”

Then, Duanmu Xi shed her tears. It had been five years. She finally met her grandpa again, the only family she had in modern times.

Huangfu Cang stood in situ in a daze and didn’t dare to move at all. Maybe he was afraid that the girl in his arms would be disturbed, that everything was a fantasy or that she would disappear if he moved a bit. He only muttered, “Qingwan…”

Seeing the weird scene up there, Huangfu Che and Duanmu Xue exchanged glances and both found confusion in their eyes.

Huangfu Che wondered, “This is the first time that she has met my father. How can she be so excited? And my father also acts so weirdly upon seeing Xi. Did they meet each other before?”

Xi’s reaction was too strange. He must ask her about it later.

Xuanyuan Mo looked at Duanmu Xi crying her eyes out up there and slightly felt pitiful. However, he knew that she was happy. These were the tears of joy.

Moments later, Duanmu Xi slowly loosened herself from Huangfu Cang’s arms. Looking at the strange Huangfu Cang, Duanmu Xi blinked her dark purple eyes and called gently, “Grandpa?”

Seeing Duanmu Xi’s dark purple eyes, Huangfu Cang instantly came to himself.

She had purple eyes. No, she was not his Qingwan.

His lips curved into a bitter smile. It was his wishful thinking. Qingwan had been dead for more than 20 years. How could she appear before him?

Huangfu Cang gently stroked Duanmu Xi’s face and mumbled, “You look…so much like Qingwan.”

She resembled Qingwan so much except for her purple eyes. Undoubtedly, she was just like the young version of Qingwan.

“You are Xi, the daughter of Che?”

Duanmu Xi was slightly dazed to hear that. Grandpa didn’t know her. This should be the doppelganger of Grandpa. She was a bit depressed and then collected herself. Staring at Huangfu Cang, she nodded and said, “Yeah, I’m Duanmu Xi.”

Hearing the family name of Duanmu, Huangfu Cang was displeased by instinct, “Why is your family name Duanmu? Your family name should be Huangfu!”

She looked like Qingwan so much! Her family name should be Huangfu anyway!

The corners of Duanmu Xue’s lips subconsciously twitched. Xi was the crown princess of the Zhuque Empire. How could she adopt the family name of Huangfu?

The corners of Duanmu Xi’s lips twitched as well. Actually, her family name was Duanmu only because his name was Duanmu Cang in modern times. Her purple eyes rolled and then she said to Huangfu Cang, “Whether my family name is Huangfu or Duanmu, I’m your granddaughter.”

Huangfu Cang patted the back of Duanmu Xi’s hand and said with excitement, “Good! Good! Well said! No matter what, you are my precious granddaughter. You are the blood of the Huangfu Family.”

If only she grew in the Qinglong Empire!

“De’an, I must hold a banquet to welcome the empress of the Zhuque Empire, Che, and most importantly, my precious granddaughter,” Huangfu Cang looked at Duanmu Xi with an amiable look and ordered Eunuch Wang without looking back.

Hearing that, Duanmu Xi felt so touched. As expected, whether in the previous life or this life, Grandpa was the one who adored her most.

Seeing Huangfu Cang adore Duanmu Xi so much, Huangfu Che and Duanmu Xue were the most delighted.

Of course, some people were happy whereas others were not. The two consorts next to Huangfu Cang were unhappy. They both glared at Duanmu Xi resentfully. Those imperial family members were also unhappy and somewhat envied Duanmu Xi being able to win Huangfu Cang’s favor.

Only Huangfu Qing and Huangfu Yu were really happy for Huangfu Che and Duanmu Xi.