Chapter 1261: All Because He Is the Emperor

Winter, the thirty-third year of Shunzhi.

As the weather turned cold, the border grew a bit quieter. In recent years, however, this stretch of the Mortal World had become increasingly bizarre.

Heavy snows were followed by relentless droughts and floods in a never-ending cycle.

Rumors spread among the people that these natural disasters were born of the emperor's cruelty—that he ignored the peace of the Southern Region, cared nothing for the lives of the commoners, and was utterly obsessed with immortality.

Such rumors were everywhere, yet Yan Nantian did not fly into a rage. On the contrary, he appeared remarkably calm, as if he no longer cared about this idle gossip.

In previous years, he might have genuinely lost his temper, or perhaps bowed to public pressure and issued an edict of self-blame. Now, however, the outrage could no longer stir the slightest ripple in his heart.

His mind had grown far more peaceful.

This was his Cultivation. Walking this path, he had gradually learned to look past many things.

The deeper truths of the world were far more important than such trivial matters.

As for the demon disaster in the Southern Parts?

Yan Nantian had naturally given the matter serious thought.

It was simply that he was somewhat at a loss for what to do.

He had no authority to command the Demon Market. The Daoist cultivators of Qingxian Temple and Quanshan had already headed south to subdue the demons. As for the capable cultivators in this world, Daoist Sanyuan had already rallied those willing to listen. As for the rest, no amount of power or influence could make them budge an inch.

Yan Nantian hadn't understood this in previous years, but now it was abundantly clear. Once someone entered the gates of immortality, wealth, status, high officials, and emperors were nothing more than fleeting clouds. Who among them would actually respect him as the emperor?

He, Yan Nantian, was certainly obsessed with immortality.

But that did not mean he had lost his mind.

How could a man who had risen from nothing, raised an army on the frontier, and reshaped the entire world allow himself to be blinded by irrationality?

For him, in many matters, there were only two choices.

To want to, or not to want to.

"Your Majesty, it is getting late. It is time to rest."

Shen Qiuyue leaned against Yan Nantian's shoulder, speaking in a soft voice. At this moment, she was deeply enchanting, her tone sultry and teasing.

Yan Nantian cast a sideways glance at her and said, "My beloved consort, I sometimes wonder what is to be done about this world, yet at other times, I feel I have already done enough. The commoners claim these natural disasters and demon plagues are all my doing. They call me incompetent. They call me cruel. But what did I actually do? What does any of this have to do with me? When the world falls into chaos, is it entirely the fault of the emperor?"

Shen Qiuyue had frequently listened to Yan Nantian's grumbling in recent days, and she found it inexplicably strange. He seemed to have let go of so many worldly concerns, yet he remained stubbornly entangled in a few specific matters, refusing to let them be.

Seeing this, Shen Qiuyue said, "Your Majesty, since ancient times, the ignorant masses have never understood the way of the world or its deeper truths. Looking back through history at countless emperors, which one of them was never slandered by the people's gossip? Who knows how many edicts of self-blame were issued, or how many heavenly sacrifices were held? Yet none of it ever changed the minds of those foolish commoners."

Shen Qiuyue stepped in front of Yan Nantian and continued, "First, Your Majesty cannot simply kill all these ignorant people, and second, you cannot force them to keep their mouths shut. Looking at both past and present, since there is no way to change their foolish thoughts, why should Your Majesty let their ignorance anger you? Is that not entirely meaningless?"

Yan Nantian replied, "I am not actually angry. I am merely thinking. I am thinking about the workings of this world, trying to distinguish right from wrong and seek out the cause of it all."

Hearing this, Shen Qiuyue came to an understanding. She couldn't help but think that His Majesty truly had moved past many worldly concerns.

"My beloved consort, tell me, why exactly is this?"

Shen Qiuyue's heart gave a slight jolt. Her drifting thoughts suddenly settled as she answered, "If you want this concubine's opinion, when it comes right down to it, there is only one reason."

"And what is that?"

"It is simply because Your Majesty is the emperor."

Shen Qiuyue's heart fluttered slightly as she carefully observed Yan Nantian's reaction.

Inexplicably, a very strong feeling welled up within her.

She couldn't shake the suspicion—could it be that the man in front of her no longer wanted to be the emperor?

As absurd as it seemed, that was exactly what came to her mind.

Yan Nantian blanked for a moment. Under Shen Qiuyue's watchful gaze, he offered no explanation, nor did he show any signs of anger. Instead, he fell into deep thought.

Shen Qiuyue's heart gave a violent tremor in utter disbelief.

'He really doesn't want to be the emperor anymore!'

The moment Yan Nantian began to ponder, Shen Qiuyue knew that her guess had likely hit the mark. His current demeanor was that of a man who didn't fully understand his own heart, caught in a state of deep hesitation and indecision.

Shen Qiuyue was deeply shaken. She found it incredibly hard to believe, and she couldn't begin to fathom what Yan Nantian was thinking to have developed such an idea.

A moment later, Yan Nantian raised his head and said, "My beloved consort may not understand many of the world's deeper principles, and your words may be somewhat naive, but they have struck at the very root of the problem."

"The rise and fall of the world—does the blame not ultimately fall squarely upon the emperor?"

"Your Majesty..."

Yan Nantian raised his hand, the doubts in his heart suddenly dissolving. He chuckled and said, "Tonight, my beloved consort has unraveled a knot in my heart. You truly possess the aptitude for immortality."

Shen Qiuyue blushed. She leaned into Yan Nantian's embrace and called out softly, "Your Majesty..."

Yet, as she lowered her head, the expression on her face changed entirely, filling with sharp calculation and scheming.

Yan Nantian gently stroked her hair, a myriad of thoughts swirling through his mind.

"Having you by my side is truly a blessing."

...

At dawn, a letter was quietly smuggled out of the palace.

After passing through several hands and enduring many twists and turns, it finally landed in the hands of Scholar Xie.

Xie Huan tore open the envelope.

His gaze swept over the contents, unable to mask the sheer shock welling up in his heart.

He read it over carefully several times. Only after confirming there was no mistake in the letter's contents did he snap out of his daze.

"How could this be..."

Clutching the letter, Xie Huan muttered, "Is the Way of Longevity and Immortality truly this terrifying? Tossing aside fame and fortune is one thing, but why would anyone want to discard the very throne of the emperor...?"

Xie Huan found it almost impossible to believe. His state of mind was exactly the same as Shen Qiuyue's had been.

This was simply too inconceivable.

However, wasn't the current situation exactly what he had been hoping to see?

Xie Huan picked up the letter and held it over the burning oil lamp. In a flash, the flames flared, lighting up the entire room.

He watched the paper burn to ash, scattering the remains before finally feeling at ease.

He blew out the oil lamp.

He sat in a stunned daze for a moment.

Xie Huan pulled out a fresh sheet of paper, ground some ink, and began to write.

[Nianyi, how have you been lately? I heard about the demon chaos in the Southern Domain, and Chunhui Prefecture...]

It was a long letter, filled with a rare bout of rambling.

He folded the letter and handed it off to his subordinates, ordering it to be sent to Chunhui Prefecture through covert channels.

In this chaotic world, Tong Nianyi was still the only person he could confide in. Although they rarely exchanged letters over the years, they had always kept a watchful eye on one another.

Xie Huan was never stingy when it came to sharing news. He had always wanted to invite Tong Nianyi to join this grand game of chess of his, but he had never received the answer he desired.

Xie Huan stood up, slowly smoothed out his official robes, and walked out of the study.

Today, there were still many important matters left to handle.

Since Ruyi's passing and Director Wang Yingying's departure from Shangjing City, Yan Nantian had felt increasingly adrift. He found that there was hardly anyone in this palace he could truly converse with about anything.

He always felt that whatever others said to him were meaningless trivialities, and the reports submitted by his subordinate officials were all matters of little consequence.

After Yan Nantian stepped onto the path of Cultivation, he had developed a certain arrogance. He actually wanted to speak with these people more, yet deep down he found it incredibly dull—and this wasn't merely out of pride.

Thus, he constantly felt exhausted or simply bored.

Looking out at this deep palace, he felt it was entirely devoid of interest. He even entertained the thought of going out for a walk.

He had already seen the beautiful scenery and myriad shapes of the world.

And precisely because he had seen it, he yearned for it again.

But if he left, what would happen to this world?

On second thought, however, Yan Nantian felt a bit of relief.

It seemed he didn't attend court much anyway, and not many memorials or state affairs actually passed through his hands in the end.

Moreover, he had recently heard that several national policy reforms had been quite successful.

The reason behind this was the newly appointed Scholar Xie of the Grand Cabinet.

This person had given Yan Nantian a tremendous surprise. The Grand Cabinet was never short of people who wanted to implement reforms, and there were always some in this world who cared little for wealth and jewels, desiring only merit, fame, and a lasting legacy.

There were three such individuals in the Grand Cabinet. With those three present, Yan Nantian could comfortably play the role of an absentee ruler. It was worth mentioning that the reason Great Jing hadn't descended into absolute chaos all these years was entirely thanks to them. With the recent addition of Xie Huan, these four were more than enough.

But how was he supposed to leave?

Yan Nantian pondered.

After thinking it over and over, he arrived at an answer.

...

"Your Majesty, will this really work?"

Yan Nantian looked at her and said, "Why wouldn't it? As long as you don't slip up, no one will be able to see through this Illusory Veil."

Shen Qiuyue looked at Yan Nantian and said, "Why doesn't Your Majesty bring me along? Without Your Majesty, your concubine does not wish to stay alone in this deep palace."

Yan Nantian chuckled. He reached out to stroke her head and said, "Don't worry. I will be back before you know it. I absolutely won't keep my beloved concubine waiting for long."

Shen Qiuyue pursed her lips and asked, "What if I am discovered?"

"I highly doubt that will happen."

Yan Nantian said, "Whenever memorials were submitted in the past, hardly anyone ever saw me. We barely had any contact to begin with, so how could they possibly find out?"

Shen Qiuyue pretended to look hesitant.

Yan Nantian comforted her, "I believe in you."

"Besides, I have left someone to assist you. Scholar Xie has always worked for me. If there is anything you don't understand, you can ask him."

"Who?"

"Xie Huan, Scholar Xie."

Shen Qiuyue was startled, suddenly finding herself at a loss.

Was he stumbling upon it by sheer luck?

She couldn't help but wonder if their secret had been exposed, and if His Majesty had come here this time precisely to test her.

Shen Qiuyue's heart tightened, and her mind was already racing to figure out a way to escape.

But what happened next exceeded her expectations.

After leaving his instructions, Yan Nantian simply departed. He didn't say anything else, let alone expose them. It was as if he truly didn't know anything at all.

Only after Yan Nantian was gone did Shen Qiuyue let out a long breath of relief.

She began to write a letter once more.

...

When Xie Huan returned from the Grand Cabinet, dragging his exhausted body, he suddenly noticed someone already waiting outside his door.

Frowning at the sight, Xie Huan brought the person into the house and asked, "What is going on with her lately? Didn't I tell her not to send letters out so frequently unless it's important?"

The person handed the letter to him and said, "Lady Shen said it is a matter of grave importance."

Xie Huan parted his lips upon hearing this, then said, "Understood."

After dropping off the letter, the person hurried away.

Xie Huan tore open the envelope.

He read it carefully.

The very next moment, it felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.

After reading the entire message, he felt no joy, only sheer panic.

In the letter, Shen Qiuyue wrote that His Majesty didn't seem to have noticed anything. Instead, he genuinely wanted to leave the palace to travel and had ended up stumbling upon it by sheer luck, entrusting this matter to her.

"How could it be that simple..."

Xie Huan did not believe in such coincidences.

He understood this emperor far too well.

Trembling, and after a brief moment of hesitation, he took the letter and headed straight toward the palace.

When Xie Huan arrived at the palace gates, he found a chief eunuch already waiting for him.

"Scholar Xie, His Majesty has been waiting for you for quite some time."

Xie Huan's heart instantly plummeted. He immediately understood—His Majesty was going to lay everything bare.

So...

He knew everything!

Xie Huan was engulfed in endless panic.

Guided by the chief eunuch, he entered the palace and walked all the way to the Imperial Garden.

"Scholar Xie, please go in."

Taking a deep breath and clutching the letter to his chest, Xie Huan stepped into the Imperial Garden.

After so many years, when he finally laid eyes on His Majesty again, he felt a profound sense of shock.

Compared to the past, His Majesty actually looked significantly younger.

Had he truly attained the Way of Longevity and Immortality?!

"Your humble subject, Xie Huan, kowtows before Your Majesty."

Yan Nantian glanced down at him and said, "Scholar Xie, you certainly kept me waiting."

...

When dusk fell.

As Xie Huan emerged from the palace, he was in a daze.

His Majesty had not condemned him for treason, nor had he killed him to vent his anger. Instead, for that entire half-day, His Majesty had remained as calm as ever, simply recounting matters of the past.

He spoke of how, in previous years, Xie Huan had been assassinated time and time again, and how he had desperately worked for him. After so many years, his suffering had finally borne fruit, allowing him to step into the Grand Cabinet.

Throughout it all, Yan Nantian had never once mentioned his illicit schemes with Shen Qiuyue, acting as though he had forgotten about them entirely.

Right before he left, Yan Nantian acted as though he had just suddenly remembered and said, "You can give it a try. See for yourself whether this nation and this dynasty are truly that simple."

That single sentence left Xie Huan kneeling on the floor, too terrified to even raise his head.

Yet Yan Nantian said nothing more. He stood up and departed from the Imperial Garden.

Xie Huan was already drenched in cold sweat, and even after stepping out of the palace gates, he was still consumed by lingering dread.

When he looked up at the twilight of the setting sun...

He suddenly felt lost in a trance, feeling as though all his schemes and machinations over the years had been nothing but a joke.

He had done so much and expended so much effort.

But in the end, all he received was an act of pity—allowing him to just "give it a try."

"Heh..."

Xie Huan shook his head and smiled bitterly. He was like a speck of dust, completely unworthy of mention.

After returning home, he got dead drunk.

He had finally obtained everything he had always wanted.

Yet, no matter what, he couldn't find a shred of happiness.

This was just a joke—a monumental joke!

"What in the world have I been pursuing..."

Xie Huan poured wine into his mouth, tears inexplicably streaming down his face.

He took a deep breath. Even when sabers and swords had fallen upon him, he had not cried; even when cornered in desperate situations, he had never wept.

But now, he could no longer hold it in.

Such bitter disappointment, such a devastating plunge from his expectations... it was impossible for him to accept.

Because decades of painstaking labor had been reduced to a pointless vanity with a single sentence. It had all become a joke.