A few seconds later, Gu Xu and Zhao Yan appeared in front of the gate of the Duke of Yan's mansion—to be precise, it should be the Great Yan Palace.
Several guards have been waiting here for a long time.
As soon as they saw Zhao Yan, they immediately said to her respectfully: "Your Royal Highness, the king is waiting for you in the palace."
"I understand. I'll go see him right now," Zhao Yan nodded, then pointed to Gu Xu beside her and ordered, "This is my friend's first time in Jicheng. Please show him around. .”
"As you command, Your Highness." The guards saluted respectfully.
Although they did not dare to show any strange expressions on their faces, when they saw Gu Xu and Zhao Yan holding each other's arms, they always felt that the relationship between the two should be more than just "friends".
Then, Zhao Yan walked into the familiar door and walked along the long corridor towards Zhao Changying's home.
Compared with the Zichen Palace in Luojing City, this "royal palace" in Jicheng City is obviously much simpler.
The tiles on its roof are turquoise, not the bright yellow that symbolizes imperial power. It has no white marble fence carved with dragon patterns, no carefully arranged gardens, and no gorgeously dressed palace maids and concubines.
Under the blowing breeze, it seemed quiet and solemn.
King Yan Zhao Changying was sitting at the desk, concentrating on reading.
He was not as weak as Zhao Yan imagined, and his body was still strong and strong. Except that the blood on his face was a little duller and became a little pale, he was almost the same as before.
It doesn't look like someone whose life is in danger at all.
When Zhao Yan walked into the door, he put down the book in his hand, pointed to a chair next to him, and smiled at her indifferently: "Sit down."
Zhao Yan straightened her clothes and sat down obediently.
"Father...Father, your injury..."
She has always called Zhao Changying by his first name. Now she suddenly changed her name to "father", which made her feel a little uncomfortable.
It's just that in the heavy atmosphere at this moment, she couldn't express her resentment in front of her father as unscrupulously as before.
"It doesn't matter," Zhao Changying smiled faintly, "I can still hold on for a while, enough to clear some obstacles for you before you take the throne."
Zhao Yan pursed her lips slightly, not knowing how to respond.
For the princes of the Daqi Dynasty, the moment they heard that they were about to inherit the throne was often the happiest moment in their lives.
But Zhao Yan's mood was very complicated.
Her chest was filled with uneasiness, sadness, worry and other emotions, but there was no joy.
Zhao Changying lifted the jug on the table and drank the wine in one gulp - even though he was nearing the end of his life, he was still addicted to alcohol.
"You are very similar to your mother," Zhao Changying continued after a brief silence. "You are willful, chivalrous, and go your own way, always insisting on the justice deep in your heart.
"I know that over the years, you have always wanted to know the truth about your mother's death. Now, while I am still breathing, I will tell you everything that happened back then to help you get rid of your obsessions. "
Zhao Yan said softly: "You said before that it was Emperor Tianxing who did it."
"That's right," Zhao Changying sighed, "your mother was a frequent visitor to the Lu Family Poetry Club in Qingzhou during her lifetime. She wasn't very good at writing poems, but she liked to make friends there. She and Lu Huan's wife were well known. The above is a good sister who is sworn to Jinlan.
"Later, the Lu family was executed for treason. She thought this was outrageous. In her eyes, Lu Huan and his family did not look like people who would betray Da Qi.
"She wants to go to Luojing City to seek justice for her sisters.
"At that time, I tried to stop her. Because I knew that the emperor of the Daqi Dynasty was a willful and arbitrary person. There was no room for change in anything he decided on.
“What happened next was not beyond my expectation.
"Maybe because he suspected that she was an accomplice of the Lu family, or maybe just because he wanted to show his authority, he manipulated the Tianlong Formation and let her die in Luojing City.
"Oh, it would have been better if I had kept her by any means necessary..."
If Gu Xu were here and heard Zhao Changying's words, he would definitely sigh in his heart: Emperor Tianxing, as a lackey of the upper world, carries the will of "Tai Shang Haotian", and in his eyes, the world is nothing but Just ants.
As a disobedient ant, Qu Qingqiu jumped a little higher and tried to question the authority of Emperor Tianxing, but was slapped to death by Emperor Tianxing lightly.
In this world of cultivation, as long as the power is strong enough, you can do whatever you want without any scruples.
Having said this, Zhao Changying paused for a moment, then continued slowly: "She is my beloved wife, so after her death, I have been eager to avenge her all the time. For her, I will do whatever it takes; but you are my only one." My daughter is my priceless treasure. I don’t want to involve you in this dangerous matter, nor do I want you to bear too many sins, so I have been hiding it from you and not told you my plan.
"Sorry, Yan'er, I underestimated your talent and ability, as well as your determination to avenge your mother.
"Can you forgive me for this matter?"
Zhao Yan looked at him, was silent for a while, and finally nodded slightly.
She hoped that her father would feel more comfortable in the last few days of his life.
"In addition, Yan'er, I can feel now that the power of your bloodline has become much stronger," Zhao Changying asked again, "Did you get the 'flint' in the royal treasury during the 'Luoshui Conference'?"
"No," Zhao Yan shook her head and said, "When I arrived at the inner treasury of the royal family, the 'flint' had been broken into pieces. It was Gu Xu who helped me awaken my bloodline."
"Gu Xu?" Zhao Changying frowned, feeling extremely surprised, "How did he do it?"
Zhao Changying had only met Gu Xu a few times before, but she knew that this young man had a secret hidden in him. Luo Chuan, the head of the Exorcism Department, was cold and indifferent to everyone, but was polite to him, which undoubtedly proved that he was extremely Not a simple genius monk.
However, he was still shocked that Gu Xu could replace "Flint" and help Zhao Yan awaken the power of blood.
"I don't know either," Zhao Yan replied, "Maybe it has something to do with the technique he practices. When I practiced with him, I could feel our true energy resonating with each other, and my practice speed also accelerated a lot. But it was his secret and I didn’t ask any more questions.”
"What skills did he practice?"
"A middle-grade technique called "Red Flame True Technique". But it was improved by him."
"'Red Flame True Technique'...isn't this a technique from the 'Vulcan' lineage?"
"He told me before that this is a technique that was randomly picked up in the exorcism treasurer's warehouse. It is an ordinary thing that cannot be traced back to its historical origin."
Zhao Changying pondered for a long time, thinking about the possible relationship between Gu Xu and the "Vulcan Cult", but there was no clue in his mind.
A few minutes later, he looked at his daughter in front of him and said solemnly: "Although I never pay much attention to your marriage, after my death, I still hope that you can find a trustworthy partner.
"On the one hand, your father irresponsibly left you a mess and put the burden of a country on you - which is too heavy for a young woman. On the other hand, on your After that, if you don't leave any heirs, the inheritance rights of Dayan will fall into the hands of Zhao Changqi and Zhao Yu. I know you definitely don't want to see that."
"You should know that I have never liked men, and I hate them touching me." Zhao Yan said without thinking.
