Chapter 166: Borrowing Fifty More Years from Heaven
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
Vermilion Bird Street, the Xue Residence.
Late into the night, faint lantern light flickered in the Xue household’s rear courtyard, and the sound of weeping could be heard.
“Huang’er, my Huang’er, you must overcome this trial,” sobbed a weathered woman with streaks of gray in her hair as she knelt by the bedside, her body wracked with sorrow.
A man in his twenties lay sickly on the bed, his face pale as paper. Propped up by a maid, he sipped a bowl of red liquid. The vibrant broth stained his bloodless lips, leaving a vivid and eerie crimson mark.
“Mother, did we succeed in borrowing the lifespan?” Xue Huang asked weakly.
Rumor had it that the blood of children could prolong one’s life. For the past few days, he had been drinking bowls of it, yet his condition showed no sign of improvement.
In the Xue family’s basement, two small beggars were confined.
“It’s not so easy to borrow a lifespan,” his mother replied with a low sigh. “Only those blessed with extraordinary fortune, profound merits, and resilient fates can succeed. Such individuals typically come from privileged families—who among them would be willing to give away their lifespan?”
A flash of malice crossed Xue Huang’s eyes. “I am the sole heir of the Xue royal bloodline. Being able to extend my life is their fortune. Who dares refuse?”
“Do they not wish to see the restoration of our former glory?” He erupted into a fit of coughs, making his crimson-stained lips appear even more ghastly. “The commoners are ungrateful wolves. They ate at the Xue family’s table back then, yet now they sing praises of the Emperor of North Zhao! It was the Emperor who usurped the throne and destroyed the Xue dynasty!”
“How can our ancestors rest in peace?”
The room was filled with kneeling figures, and at the forefront were elders with heads of silver-white hair, their eyes brimming with hatred.
In an attempt to weaken the Xue clan, the previous emperor had spared their lives but prohibited them from expanding their lineage through polygamy. The fall of the Xue dynasty had already left the family gravely wounded. Over the years, with only the main wife’s offspring, they had barely managed to produce two sons and a daughter. Of them, only Xue Huang survived to adulthood.
To add to their woes, Xue Huang had been married for ten years yet remained childless. Under constant surveillance by Emperor Xuan Ping’s agents, the Xue family could only find solace during the deep hours of the night.
“How is the esteemed expert’s preparation coming along?” Xue Huang inquired.
Before the question fully settled, a servant outside the door reported in a low voice, “It’s done.”
“The lifespan borrowing is complete. We await tomorrow’s ritual during the sacrifice,” the maid replied softly.
Joy erupted in Xue Huang’s eyes. The kneeling crowd began to weep with relief and delight. “Salvation is near! Our Xue family is saved!”
Xue Huang’s face lit up. “The birthdate and fortune of Princess Sunshine are exceptional. She is Emperor Xuan Ping’s most beloved adopted daughter. Borrowing her lifespan will surely transfer some of her great fortune to us.”
“It will also deal a devastating blow to Emperor Xuan Ping, leaving him in agony!” Xue Huang sneered coldly. “That vile emperor deserves to know the taste of heartbreak.”
“Princess Sunshine lending her lifespan to the Xue family is her fortune. Restoring the Xue royal family is her honor,” declared an elderly man, tears streaming down his face in fervor.
“Prepare everything needed for tomorrow’s ritual and inform the Emperor,” Xue Huang ordered. “The Xue family must pay homage at the Xue Imperial Mausoleum.”
“Our Xue dynasty may have fallen, but we haven’t held a proper ancestral sacrifice in decades. Will Emperor Xuan Ping object even to this?” Forcing himself to sit upright, Xue Huang instructed a messenger to deliver a letter to the palace.
Meanwhile, Emperor Xuan Ping scoffed as he read the request on his desk.
“Ridiculous! The Xue family’s dynasty has long been extinguished. What is there to worship at the imperial mausoleum?”
“Fine. If they seek destruction, I won’t stand in their way,” the Emperor said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Allow them to proceed with the ritual at the mausoleum. Let them bring along the old ministers of the previous dynasty. I won’t hold anyone accountable.”
His calligraphy flourished as he signed his approval.
The head eunuch hesitated. Was His Majesty so enraged that he had lost reason? Normally, Emperor Xuan Ping was highly cautious about the Xue family reconnecting with their old allies. Had his anger clouded his judgment?
“Go ahead. Send them all. I will not pursue or punish,” the Emperor repeated, an ominous smile spreading across his face.
Borrow a lifespan? Borrow it from Chao Chao?
What a joke! The late emperor himself had appeared in dreams to warn him about safeguarding her. Did they truly believe their schemes could succeed?
No, he would let them watch as their own folly led to their demise. That way, they would abandon their futile ambitions.
The Emperor summoned his secret guards. While he had full confidence in Lu Chao Chao’s capabilities, he dared not be complacent.
“At dawn, escort Chao Chao into the palace. If any danger arises, signal at once to disrupt their ritual.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The following morning, Lu Chao Chao was brought to the palace. Like an energetic foal, she bounded into the Emperor’s arms.
“Emperor Daddy!”
“Oh, my darling! Let me see—have you grown chubbier?” The Emperor held her up and clicked his tongue in admiration. This little one was truly robust!
“Liang Qin said girls shouldn’t be called chubby!” Lu Chao Chao corrected with a childish pout.
“Fine, fine, I won’t say it. Such a good girl…” The Emperor chuckled, his affection deepening.
Carrying her, he walked to the tallest tower in the palace. The Crown Prince followed silently, his gaze darkening slightly as he beheld the nine-tiered pagoda. His fists clenched quietly.
“What is this pagoda?” Lu Chao Chao asked, her eyes wide with wonder.
The nine-tiered pagoda was under heavy guard, its security bolstered by hidden sentinels. Only the Emperor and Crown Prince were permitted entry.
“This pagoda holds the sacred artifact of North Zhao, the very item coveted by Western Yue. The artifact has been protected by the royal family for generations, awaiting its true master.”
Legend claimed that North Zhao had once been a barren land where no life could thrive. The arrival of the artifact transformed it into a flourishing paradise.
“But that’s just a legend,” the Emperor said with a light laugh.
The Crown Prince’s eyes lingered on the pagoda’s door. “What if it isn’t?” he murmured.
The Emperor stopped at the tower’s outer ring, not entering the restricted area, as the Xue mausoleum rituals began in the distance.
“Let the spectacle commence,” the Crown Prince muttered, his tone measured.
Back at the mausoleum, anticipation filled the air. “The Emperor has even allowed the old ministers to join the ritual!” Xue Huang exclaimed, tears brimming.
The elderly ministers, loyal to the previous dynasty, felt a pang of sorrow as they gazed at the once-proud imperial burial grounds.
“Bring forth the items,” the esteemed expert commanded.
A woman handed over Lu Chao Chao’s embroidered handkerchief, followed by yellow paper inscribed with her birthdate and fortune, which was promptly burned and thrown into a copper basin.
“Now, let your blood fall into the basin,” the expert bellowed.
Without hesitation, Xue Huang slashed his finger, letting blood drip into the vessel.
The ritual to borrow a lifespan had begun.