Chapter 1054 – The Return of the Pope (2/2)

They knew what he thought, so they wanted to take a share of this pain.

However, when he thought of Mo Yu's words from last night, Chen Changsheng felt both touched and dejected.

Dejection would often affect one's appetite.

The food on the plate was alluring in both looks and smell, but tasteless on his tongue.

He put down his chopsticks.

”Were the flower-scented mushrooms not good?”

A beautiful woman nervously asked, ”There's also a meatball soup in the kitchen. Does Your Holiness want to try it?”

Xue Yejin had a rather nervous expression.

The woman was Xue Xingchuan's oldest daughter, Xue Yejin's older sister.

After Xue Xingchuan's death, she was beaten by her power-hungry husband, Assistant Minister Wei, after which she took temporary refuge in the Xue Estate.

On that day later on, when wind and snow shrouded the streets of the capital, Assistant Minister Wei had been beheaded by Wang Po and Chen Changsheng.

She had spent the last few years living in the Xue Estate. Nothing remained of her former delicacy, a fact easily confirmed from her cloth garments and the thin calluses on her fingers.

In the eyes of others, this sort of transformation might have engendered heartache and sorrow, but Chen Changsheng found them rather pleasing.

He liked people who lived life seriously, liked those people who would never get sad, no matter what circumstances they were in.

”It was very good,” he earnestly said. ”The soup also tastes very good, but I have a lot to think about today, so it's easy for my mind to wander.”

At these words, both Lady Xue and Xue Yejin smiled.

Madam Xue did not smile, as she knew of what had happened in the Orthodox Academy. She also knew that Chen Changsheng was certain to face many troubles with his return to the Orthodox Academy. She somewhat uneasily said, ”Your Holiness has many important matters to take care of and truly does not need to come and see us. This is truly too much.”

”There truly are many things to do.”

Chen Changsheng took stock of the sun's position, then rose and bid farewell.

The three people of the Xue clan did not dare delay him, and hurriedly sent him off.

The old butler and a servant woman were waiting with the most respectful of attitudes by the estate gate.

These were the only servants the Xue Estate had at the moment. They and the three members of the Xue clan now lived in the smallest courtyard, on the eastern part of the estate grounds.

The Imperial Court had never issued a decree declaring the reappropriation of the Xue clan's residence, but several princes had been keeping watch on it the entire time.

Chen Changsheng gazed at the ten-some princely estates lining the street as he thought of these things.

Darkness was approaching, but those estates had all inexplicably opened their gates.

The light spilling out from inside shone upon the drifting snowflakes, making them seem like beautiful golden sparks.

Chen Changsheng walked through the snowstorm.

He had heard from Zhexiu and Mo Yu that Zhou Tong had crawled through this very street.

On that night, no matter how much Zhou Tong screamed or begged for mercy, no one came from those princely estates to save him.

Even though he was no longer the Tianhai Divine Empress's dog and was now Shang Xingzhou's dog.

By now, the entire capital knew that Chen Changsheng had entered the Xue Estate. Those princes naturally knew as well.

Would those princes do anything?

No one came out, nor did anyone make a sound.

The snow-covered street was absolutely serene. All was at peace.

Once one walked past the brightly-lit princely estates, one arrived at an ordinary street.

The street was lined with packed crowds of ordinary people.

All the people of the capital were believers of the Orthodoxy. Upon seeing him, they quickly kneeled, making the crowd seem like a tide.

There were no priests at his side, no cavalry to escort him. There were no attendants and no holy carriage.

He walked forward alone.

Wherever he walked, the people kneeled, piously beseeching him for his blessing.

The black tide continued to beat forward along the street until it finally drowned out those famous stone pillars.

Chen Changsheng stood in front of the stone pillars, gazing pensively at those majestic, grandiose, and holy palaces.

A bell suddenly rang from deep within that collection of palaces.

Because the Pope had returned.