Chapter 543 553: Golden Sunlight

"We won't disturb you any longer. We'll take our leave now."

Cheng Yu and Ling Jiao looked at Wen Qingye and spoke reluctantly. They knew Lady Liu must have much to say to him.

Wen Qingye gave a small smile and nodded.

Lady Liu watched the two women's departing figures and couldn't help but laugh. "I really shouldn't have given birth to a brat like you. I can't imagine how many women have worried and agonized over you."

Hearing Lady Liu's words, Wen Qingye chuckled. "Is that so?"

"Of course it is! Come, tell your mother all about what you've been up to while you were away. Every time I asked Ling Wei, she said she hadn't heard any news of you."

Lady Liu pulled Wen Qingye into Zhengxuan Hall, and they immediately started to catch up.

As soon as they sat down, Lady Liu asked, "What about Xiaoyun? Did you find her?"

Hearing his mother's question, the corner of Wen Qingye's mouth curled up. He nodded and said, "I found her. She'll be back very soon. Don't worry, Mother."

"As long as you've found her, that's all that matters." Lady Liu let out a sigh of relief and asked cautiously, "Even masters of the Life and Death Realm are no match for you now. This matter surely won't be too difficult for you, will it?"

Wen Qingye gave a firm nod. "Yes. It'll be all right. Everything will be all right. Mother, just wait for her to return."

Hearing his words, a joyous expression appeared on Lady Liu's face. She smiled and said, "Right, there's something else I need to talk to you about. It's about Ling Wei…"

Wen Qingye asked, puzzled, "Ling Wei? What about her?"

Lady Liu frowned. "Don't you know? After Ling Wei, there's no one left in the Celestial Martial Country to inherit the throne."

Wen Qingye said, "What about the other members of the Royal Family? Surely the Celestial Martial Country's Royal Family isn't just her line, is it?"

Lady Liu sighed helplessly and explained, "You don't know. After you left for the Celestial Profound Sect, the entire Celestial Martial Country underwent earth-shaking changes. Ling Wei went to war with the Divine Wind Country, and with unstoppable momentum, she swept through several neighboring countries. Although the Sixteen Countries haven't officially changed their banners, Ling Wei has basically unified them all from within."

Wen Qingye pondered for a moment. "And then a large number of Royal Family members grew discontented, colluded with ministers, or conspired with remnants of the Sixteen Countries to rebel, and Ling Wei executed them one by one, didn't she?"

Lady Liu said in surprise, "You knew all that?"

"Yes, I do," Wen Qingye said with a smile.

Some of it was what Ke Yuan had told him, and the rest was his own speculation.

Lady Liu looked at Wen Qingye, her gaze intense. "Since you know, then you must understand that the Royal Family of the Celestial Martial Country has no heir. Recently, many ministers have been pressing her to take a husband."

Wen Qingye listened quietly to Lady Liu, his expression unchanging.

Lady Liu continued, "What do you think? If Ling Wei marries, the entire Celestial Martial Country will belong to someone else. And so will she."

Wen Qingye fell silent. Just as he was about to speak, a knock came from the door.

KNOCK KNOCK!

"Auntie, it's me, Ling Wei."

Ling Wei stood outside, knocking softly, her heart aflutter with anxiety.

"You two talk. I'm going to take a walk," Lady Liu said to Wen Qingye with a wink and a smile.

With that, Lady Liu walked to the door and opened it.

"I'm a bit tired, so I'll go back and rest. You and Qingye have a good chat."

Ling Wei was taken aback. She saw Lady Liu give her a small smile before walking out of the grand hall.

Ling Wei snapped back to her senses and looked at Wen Qingye. A smile bloomed on her face, the joy in her voice irrepressible. "You're back?"

"Yes, I'm back," Wen Qingye replied with a small smile and a nod.

Ling Wei never stopped paying attention to Wen Qingye. How could she possibly be ignorant of his deeds? She had imagined this moment countless times, always with a million things she wanted to say. Yet now that he was standing right before her, she found herself at a loss for words.

The thought of Zhou Kongkong made Wen Qingye feel that things weren't so simple. He couldn't help but say, "The Heaven-Burying Sect's attack is ferocious this time. I don't think it's as straightforward as it seems. Before the experts from the Celestial Profound Sect arrive, nothing is set in stone. You should rally your people and heighten your defenses."

"I know. As long as you're here, I'm not afraid. What I'm most worried about is what happens after this. If you all leave…" Ling Wei trailed off, looking at Wen Qingye.

Wen Qingye nodded. After a moment of quiet thought, he said, "I believe this area is also considered Celestial Profound Sect territory. When the time comes, the Celestial Profound Sect will surely dispatch masters to stand guard here as a precaution. You can rest assured about that."

Ling Wei fell silent, then changed the subject. "Don't take what Auntie said earlier to heart. With my health, I can manage the affairs of state for at least another forty or fifty years. There's no need to establish a Crown Prince so early, much less take a husband."

When Wen Qingye heard Ling Wei's words, his heart trembled for reasons he couldn't name.

Ling Wei looked at Wen Qingye with a beaming smile, took his arm, and said, "Let's go for a walk, shall we? The weather is lovely today. The spring sun is warm, and the scenery is beautiful."

"Alright," Wen Qingye nodded.

Hearing him agree, a look of deep satisfaction appeared on Ling Wei's face, her heart filled with an indescribable joy.

The two of them slowly walked out of the grand hall. Warm sunlight shone upon the earth, its pale golden rays bringing a trace of warmth to the soul.

Basking in the warm glow, Wen Qingye smiled. "I traveled here from the Celestial Profound Mountain Domain and looked around on my way. I never expected you to govern the Celestial Martial Country so well. There are far fewer refugees than before."

Ling Wei clasped her hands behind her back and said calmly, "Governing a great country is like cooking a small fish. Apply yourself, and everything will fall into place."

Wen Qingye looked at Ling Wei and said slowly, "That's easy to say, but I'm sure it must have been full of difficulties."

'For a woman to govern a country, especially right after ascending the throne, must have been incredibly difficult. And most importantly, if the Heaven-Burying Sect hadn't attacked, she definitely would have swallowed the Sixteen Countries whole. That alone was enough to prove how formidable her methods were. Ling Wei… she's truly a remarkable woman.'

"It is nothing more than being a saint on the outside and a king on the inside," Ling Wei said lightly. She possessed a natural grace and nobility, and the heroic aura she exuded was almost dazzling.

'Even I have to admire her,' Wen Qingye thought. 'Ling Wei is truly strong, with immense inner strength. Maybe it's because she grew up all alone in the depths of the palace.'

Ling Wei withdrew her gaze and looked at Wen Qingye. "Your beginnings at the Celestial Profound Sect must have been filled with hardships too, right?"

Wen Qingye gave a faint smile. "It was alright. Now that it's all in the past, it doesn't feel like much of anything."