Zanxing (Retranslated)

Chapter 92 - Emperor Shengning (2)

Zanxing glanced up at Mimi perched on the bookshelf.

Mimi, with its chubby face, sat leisurely on the shelf, idly biting its tail.

Refocusing her thoughts, Zanxing brought the volume with ‘Shengning’ written on it to Gu Baiying’s attention, gesturing for him to take a look.

At first puzzled, Gu Baiying lowered his gaze to read the small text on the cover, then looked momentarily stunned before accepting the volume from Zanxing.

Indeed, the volume documented the life of Emperor Shengning, the old king. It was surprising for the scribes to compile such a thick volume for a king who had died relatively young, having lived only for about twenty years. One could only wonder how many words were written.

Sitting back-to-back against the bookshelf, the two of them examined the volume in their hands.

The life of the former king of Li’er, Emperor Shengning, seemed unremarkable. It was evident that the scribes had struggled to flatter him, but most of the descriptions amounted to superficial praise, such as being learned, talented, virtuous, and wise. However, there were no concrete examples to support these claims.

However, during the years when the former king was in power, there were indeed no major events in Li’er. For now, it could be assumed that there was simply no place for the former king’s abundant talents to shine for the time being, which wasn’t his fault.

Emperor Shengning had been weak since birth, frequently bedridden due to his frail health. Despite being examined by the finest physicians in Li’er, his condition, attributed to complications from his mother’s miscarriage, could not be cured and could only be managed.

Despite the abundance of medicinal herbs flowing through the palace, Emperor Shengning’s health did not improve. In his youth, he could still run and play, but as he grew older, he became unable to engage in vigorous activities. By the time he reached twenty, he was coughing up blood daily, looking more haggard than elderly men in their twilight years.

Observing this, Zanxing leaned closer to Gu Baiying and whispered, “Was that statue by the sea a mockery?” The statue appeared to be able to take on ten opponents single-handedly. While a bit of exaggeration was acceptable, exaggerating to this extent would likely embarrass even the old king if he saw it.

Feeling the warmth of the girl’s breath on his ear, Gu Baiying furrowed his brows and moved slightly away, saying, “Stop talking and keep reading.”

Zanxing continued reading.

Despite his frailty, Emperor Shengning, a veritable invalid, still desired to take a wife. On his twenty-second birthday, he married Princess Lizhu from the Lin Country. Zanxing speculated that perhaps this marriage was intended to bring joy, but it seemed futile. Although Emperor Shengning did not die of illness, he was killed by the shark demon.

After Emperor Shengning married Princess Lizhu, his health gradually improved slightly. Not long after, the incident of the shark demon’s rampage occurred in Li’er. The subsequent records were the same as those written in the previous volumes: Emperor Shengning bravely fought the shark demon and sacrificed himself to save his people. After that, there was nothing more.

Zanxing remarked, “Is that it?”

It wasn’t that she harbored any bias against Emperor Shengning. It’s just that after reading through this scroll, she couldn’t help but feel that the most noteworthy events of Emperor Shengning’s life were his marriage and his battle against the shark demon.

As she pondered this, Zanxing flipped through a few more pages. Seeing that there were still words on those pages, she leaned in to take a look.

It seemed to be a list of medicinal ingredients attached to the end of the scroll, clearly documenting the medicinal materials used by Emperor Shengning over the years from the imperial pharmacy. It was evident that in his youth, he only used some tonics and health supplements, but later on, he relied on more potent substances like ginseng and lingzhi, which were used to sustain life. The amount of medicinal materials used each year also increased exponentially, indicating that Emperor Shengning’s condition seemed to worsen over time. However, halfway through the list, it abruptly stopped. Judging from the recorded dates, it seemed to coincide with the first half year after Princess Lizhu married into Li’er.

Zanxing couldn’t help but furrow her brows, and when she glanced at Gu Baiying, she noticed that his gaze also lingered on the sudden blank space in the medicinal list for a long time.

The sudden cessation of medication—unless Emperor Shengning’s illness miraculously improved, which according to the king’s remarks, it hadn’t—was puzzling. Did this signify giving up on treatment? Perhaps it was a decision to marry and have children first, ensuring the continuity of Li’er, and leaving one’s own fate to chance?

Zanxing couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something peculiar about this medicinal list.

She was about to speak when suddenly she heard voices outside. Startled, she quickly pulled Gu Baiying and hid them both in the innermost layer of the bookshelf.

The gap between the shelves was narrow, only allowing one person to pass through. With both of them squeezed together, they ended up facing each other, and Zanxing’s head nearly bumped into Gu Baiying’s chest.

Caught off guard, Gu Baiying was dragged by Zanxing into the cramped corner. Once he regained his balance, he looked down at her with barely restrained anger and whispered, “What are you doing?”

“Someone’s coming in,” Zanxing clutched his clothes. “Be careful. If we’re discovered, we’re done for.”

Gu Baiying took a deep breath, glaring at her as he gritted his teeth. “Yang Zanxing, are you out of your mind? What are you hiding from when you can just use invisibility magic?”

Zanxing snapped out of her daze. “You’re right.”

Learning invisibility magic was difficult. Zanxing had tried it once and couldn’t even find the door, so she gave up altogether. It was a rare skill even within the Taiyan Sect, and Gu Baiying’s proficiency in it often made Zanxing forget this fact.

“But,” Zanxing glanced at him and whispered, “Senior Uncle, isn’t invisibility magic limited to one use per day, and each use lasts only half an incense stick’s worth of time? We’ve already exceeded that while reading the scrolls just now.”

Gu Baiying paused for a moment, seeming to realize the situation, and snapped in frustration, “Shut up.”

Zanxing wisely complied and remained silent.

Outside, the conversation continued. “You all can leave. I’ll take a look around on my own.”

“Yes,” followed by the sound of the guards leaving.

Zanxing and Gu Baiying exchanged glances. Was that voice just now Princess Lizhu?

The footsteps drew closer, entering the Tianlu Pavilion. Since Princess Lizhu showed no signs of leaving, Zanxing grew nervous and asked, “Senior Uncle, what if we’re discovered?”

“If we’re discovered, we’re discovered,” Gu Baiying paused, indifferent. “What’s there to fear? Can they really do anything to us?”

His arrogant demeanor suggested he hadn’t faced much adversity in life.

However, they were currently on someone else’s turf, and Zanxing didn’t want to get into a conflict with the royal family of Li’er. With this in mind, she instinctively moved her body further into the corner, silently praying that Princess Lizhu wouldn’t venture further and would leave soon.

Just as she thought this, there was a sudden thump from above. Zanxing’s heart skipped a beat as she saw a fluffy white tail swaying unsteadily across her head.

Oh no, she forgot that Mimi was still on the bookshelf!

Completely oblivious to its own size, the chubby cat jumped, causing the entire bookshelf to collapse with a loud clatter, sending all the scrolls tumbling down towards Zanxing’s head. Gu Baiying was startled and instinctively reached out to shield his head, but the narrow gap between the shelves caught Zanxing off guard, causing her to fall heavily onto Gu Baiying.