695 No Regrets Though We Part Without a Figh (2/2)

The Empress looked at the Emperor who looked as if he were sleeping soundly. After a long time, she took the prayer beads on her wrists off and wrapped them around his wrist, then placed a light kiss on his forehead.

Master Huang Yang placed his hands together.

Moments later, a chant started in the room.

It was from the Reincarnation Scriptures.

It was also raining in Chang'an.

The rain was heavy and interspersed with claps of thunder. Lightning struck, lighting up the quiet, empty palace pure white. Flames fluttered, even though they were covered.

If there were no covers, perhaps those candle lights might have already been extinguished.

Li Yu sat behind a desk, looking at the beautiful candlestand that was like a coral beside the pillar. She seemed distracted.

Her black hair was damp, as was her palace skirt. She must have gone out in the rain earlier.

Her face was slightly pale, but it wasn't because she was afraid of the lightning and thunderstorm. She did not fear because she felt that what she had done was right, and even in the dark room in the palace, she did not feel guilty.

Watching the rain outside the palace, two tracks of tears fell from the corners of her eyes, sliding along her pale face and landing on the memorial to the throne which was on the desk, wetting a line of words on the memorial.

Li Yu came back to her senses and ordered a eunuch to bring rough paper to clean the traces of water from the memorial to the throne. Then, she wiped the tears off her face and focused intently on the memorial.

The memorial to the throne was very important. It detailed the flood situation in various counties.

She took up a brush and began to read the memorial to the throne.

Guarding the embankments, storing water, disaster relief, epidemic prevention, mobilizing military forces, and keeping an eye on those riders from the Eastern Wilderness.

The Tang Empire was very large and there were many things to do. She was long used to it and handled them in good order. As she continued to examine the memorials and approved them, her expression grew calmer and calmer and seemed extremely determined.

Late at night, after a busy day of dealing with government affairs, Li Yu put on a large coat and left without bringing any eunuchs or palace maids with her. She left the palace under the heavy protection of the Yulin Royal Guards and her bodyguards.

She was not headed somewhere far, but just to the Southern Gate Temple across the palace square.

The Southern Gate Temple was enveloped in rain and seemed especially quiet.

Li Yu entered the Taoist temple. Deep inside the temple, on the dark wooden floors was a mattress. On the mattress, was a lighted lamp that illuminated the gaunt haggard face of the Tang Nation Master, Li Qingshan.

She walked up to Li Qingshan and slowly knelt. She said with a slightly trembling voice, ”My father, has departed.”

Li Qingshan slowly closed his eyes and then opened them again. There was no shock in his eyes, but only sorrow.

In the past century and for the second time in months, Helan City used up two talisman arrays consecutively to send messages over thousands of miles.

The first time was because of the black horse carriage.

The second time was to send news of the Emperor's passing back to Chang'an.

Only a few people in Chang'an knew of this news. Li Yu, with the help of the Southern Gate Temple, had managed to keep this a secret. When she saw Li Qingshan, the Nation Master's expression, she knew that he had already found out. Since she had only managed to keep this a secret with the help of the temple, she could not hide it from the temple's abbey dean.

Li Qingshan looked at the kneeling princess and asked weakly, ”What are you going to do?”

Li Yu said, ”I want to look at the edict.”

The edict that announced the succession of the Tang royal throne was not in the palace, but in the Southern Gate Temple!

Li Qingshan said, ”According to the laws of the Tang Empire, the edict should be announced before all officials.”

Li Yu lowered her head and looked at her soaked skirts. She said, ”The officials still do not know.”

Li Qingshan said, ”They'll eventually find out.”

Li Yu said, ”I do not intend to hide the fact of my father's passing for a long time. I will inform the various sectors later.”

Li Qingshan asked, ”Then why did Your Highness come here earlier than expected?”

After a long silence, Li Yu said, ”Because... I'm worried.”

Li Qingshan fell into a long silence.

Li Yu's head hung even lower. Drops of water dripped from her black hair.

Her figure fell along with the droplet, and her forehead met the dark black floors.