Chasing You (Arcs 1-7)

My Dear Emperor (VI)

A/N: Has anyone researched posthumous or temple names? Lol... it's so damn... brain aching. I gave up halfway and just plucked out a name. Why do ancient people have to be so extra? QAQ

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Things were very stagnant between the Emperor, the government officials, and the citizens. An outlash could occur at any moment from either side. Zuo NaLi and Wu QingJue had started rounding up people to support them in their cause from the furthest cites inward. Many of the officials would turn a blind eye and not report it to the emperor, because they did not see Tu HuaLi as their emperor anymore. As for Tu HuaLi, he was busy dealing with the eastern border scrimmages that had escalated to the point where small villages and town were plundered and sometimes slayen by the neighboring county's savages on a daily occurence.

With the loss in losing Wu QingJue as a general and a friend, it made Tu HuaLi second guess those around him. He re-evaluated every official and send the most trustworthy person, his brother to go and deal with the issue. He could no longer trust any of the officials in court to do the duties that was assigned by him. All that he had left was the dragon guard that were loyal to him and Tu HeJian. But by doing this it made him more vulnerable from all sides as there was no one else to guard his back.

Zuo NaLi's and Wu QingJue's campaign went on smoothly for months before the air finally sparked. They smeared his name into the dirt and released all the dirty information that they had uncovered out to the public, as well as putting out Wu QingJue's good name.

It spread like a wildfire amongst the citizens and caused a major uproar. As a result, Tu HuaLi's reputation took a nosedive to the bottom and could never see the light of day ever again. The citizens began to criticize and riot, and many of the ministers and government officials spoke out, they wanted Tu HuaLi to step down and receive the appropriate punishment for falsifying the will of the Old Emperor.

Zuo NaLi knew of the events that was going to take place and took the right opportunity when the neighboring country was going to attack to launch an attack as well.

Their timing was perfect, too perfect to say. Tu HuaLi tried to put up the best resistance that he could but he was overwhelmed by the countless assaults that he was receiving left and right. His walls of defence was like straws walls and were easily burnt down. Many of the cities that were 'captured' along the way barely gave put up fight before they gave in and joined Wu QingJue's faction.

Within two months, Tu HuaLi had lost over 60% of the country to Wu QingJue and another 10% to the savages that were invading. To make matters worse, Tu HeJian had gone missing from the eastern border and left them wide open. With no resistance from the west, the savages proceeded to march in.

By the end of the third month, the imperial city was surrounded by Wu QingJue and his army. On the day that they set off to capture the throne, Zuo NaLi stood on the walls of the imperial and sang a song for a new prosperous future that would await them. He was like a goddess that would lead them to victory. One by one, the remaining citizens in the city sang the song. It grew louder and louder, until it was like a tranquil battle cry. This would be an unforgettable moment in history.

By the time they reached the hall of the imperial palace, Tu HuaLi was sitting on the throne awaiting their arrival. Within seconds of stepping in, the doors slammed shut behind them and dark shadows leaped out at them. Wu QingJue had been separated from Zuo NaLi and the others and only had a few soldiers by his side. The dragon guard's sword glares glisten in the darkened room like stars. The floor was soon painted with a crimson red colour and it decorated the walls as well.

Both sides suffered casualties but Wu QingJue's side came out victorious as there was only one person left on the opposing side, Tu HuaLi. The two of them went and faced each other head on, the clashes of their swords echoed throughout the room. They fought against each other fiercely like two dominant tigers fighting to win over the other. Two who once shared a brotherly bond, two who were once very close together as friends, two who once drank together under the moonlight laughing and smiling were fighting to the death. In the end there could only be one of them who can come out victorious in this battle.

At the end of their fight, one man was kneeling as he bled out and another was standing with a blade in his hand. They raised it and slashed downwards, severing off the head from the body. Their eyes were ice stone cold and held no warmth in them.

After the death of Tu HuaLi, Tu HeJian was captured and brought out. He was charged with abandoning his task and labeled as a coward as well as him being lumped together with his brother as a despicable monsters. He was to be publicly beheaded for his crimes in the middle of the city.

Once it hit the auspicious hour, the blade dropped from the Heavens and that was the end of the Huan dynasty and the beginning of the Tian dynasty.

As a result from the death of Tu HeJian, Xu XiuLan disappeared. His role as a cannon fodder disappeared and out was birthed a cruel villain. Xu XiuLan investigated for many months, pulling on shredded strands of information desperately. Tu HeJian was his world and now that he was gone, he wanted to avenge his death. He searched and searched until came upon a trifling matter.

It drove him to the edge of insanity and he took the final jump without any hesitation. Afterward, he planned for many long years on how to get vengeance for his savior. He despised Zuo NaLi to the core. If not for him, his savior and his savior's brother wouldn't have met with misfortune. Only Xu XiuLan knew the truth. He had done many unspeakable things to uncover the it but even if he knew about it, who would believe him? Tu HeJian and Tu HuaLi were branded in history as nothing but a tyrannical ruler and a feeble cur. So he could only count on himself.

Xu XiuLan used similar tactics on the two. He turned Zuo NaLi against Wu QingJue by instilling distrust between the two. He made his family come into the spotlight once again and had them executed. The fate that Zuo NaLi had been trying so hard to fight had come, it devastated him that Wu QingJue would do such a thing. Then, he had sow doubt deep into Wu QingJue's heart about their relationship, with ambiguous letters and gifts that he had received from someone else. It caused Wu QingJue to think that Zuo NaLi was messing around with another person. Over a period of five months, a cold war erupted between the emperor and male empress.

But fate was too strong, they soon mended their relationship by clearing up the misunderstandings and their bond only strengthened. Although Zuo NaLi lost his family, he did not blame Wu QingJue but the person who had purposefully pushed them there.

Weeks went by before they caught scent of the person who was pulling on the strings..

While they chased him, he surrounded them. Just like they had done to Tu HuaLi and Tu HeJian, he had done the same thing to them. They were being invaded from the east while Xu XiuLan came from all other sides.

Soon the imperial city once again became a battleground. The land was soaked with blood and the air permeated with the stench of dead bodies and burning flesh. Xu XiuLan was able to push into the imperial palace and met face to face with Wu QingJue there.

Because he was blind and did not know martial arts, his role was a war strategist. The eastern savage's emperor was the one who would fight Wu QingJue. Xu XiuLan became his 'pet' in order to draw him into his plans.

But it was as if they had been blessed by the Heavens, Wu QingJue miraculously came out of the fight as victorious. But not without any injuries, in turn he received a mortal wound that was continually drawing blood. Just as he was going to order the death of Wu QingJue, Xu XiuLan was pierced from behind by Zuo NaLi and dropped to the floor.

After the dreary battle, Wu QingJue recovered from his injuries with the help of Zuo NaLi and they reigned over the country peacefully until the end of their days. They were marked down in history as a memorable loving couple as Wu QingJue did not take in anyone else and only had a single flower in his vast and spacious garden.

Stories of how sweet the two's relationship was, created a legend of true love and they became a role model for everyone else. They lived until the age of eighty before the two past away. They left behind three sons, two who were Gers and one daughter.