The Empress's No.1 Lackey

Chapter 1287 683: The White-Haired Lady Official Gazes Upon the Divine

The official robe now seemed too large for her, and even under that black gauze cap, her once sleek, black hair had threads of white.

At this moment, Mo Chou sat despondently behind the desk, in front of her piled mountains of reports and frontline military updates.

Hearing the door open, Mo Chou did not lift her head and hoarsely said:

"Leave."

After a moment, seeing no movement, she nearly shouted, raising her head:

"I told you to get out, didn't you hear me..."

She stopped abruptly!

Mo Chou stared blankly at the familiar figure standing at the study's entrance, as if in a dream. She suddenly widened her eyes, muttering:

"You...you..."

Zhao Douan's gaze was complex as he spoke:

"Mo Zhaorong, long time no see. It's me, I've returned."

Not a dream... Mo Chou's mind went blank. Then, suddenly as if pricked by a needle, she stood up abruptly, knocking over the ink stone beside her. The ink splattered all over her, yet she paid it no mind.

She nearly trembled as she quickly walked forward, staring intently at Zhao Douan's face.

She reached out to grasp the hem of his garment, feeling that all too familiar gaze. Tears suddenly fell from her eyes, and she said with bitterness:

"What are you back for? Why have you come back? Don't you know, the Emperor and we all thought you were dead! What use is there in your return now? You might as well have stayed dead, might as well be dead!"

Mo Chou lost her composure!

At this moment, immense grievance and sorrow swallowed her already exhausted and nearly collapsing spirit.

She cursed, cried, and pounded Zhao Douan's chest with her fists, as if venting the emotions bottled up in her heart for an entire year.

"Do you know how many times the Emperor waited for your return to the palace? Again and again... How many commoners waited for you, the Great General who quelled the rebellion, in hopes you'd turn the tide, only to be disappointed again and again...

The entire nation was saying you were dead, fled... Li Lianying died, Grandmaster Dong fell ill, and I alone stabilized the rear for the Emperor, I alone..."

Mo Chou cried as she spoke, starting with a hoarse cry that gradually diminished to a whisper.

Zhao Douan gently supported her, feeling the wetness on his chest from her tears. He gazed at the streaks of white hair that shouldn't appear on her at this age and softly said:

"Have you cried enough? Once you've cried enough, tell me what happened in the year I was gone."

Mo Chou rubbed her swollen eyes, and indeed let go of his sleeve, staggered back, and slumped into a chair, her expression returning to calmness:

"What do you want to know?"

She had indeed grown so much, even after such a state of frenzy, she could swiftly suppress all her emotions.

Back then, she was the personal maid by the Empress's side, now she had finally become a rightful "female chancellor."

"Everything." Zhao Douan said.

Mo Chou composed herself and coldly said:

"Back then, after you killed Prince Jing and left, the rest of us moved south to Jiancheng Road and successfully crushed Prince Jing's remaining forces. Prince Jing's son, Xu Jinglong, was killed by artillery fire on the battlefield, dying on the spot.

The Shen family, who supported the rebel Prince Jing's forces, tried to flee with the whole family to Lingnan Road but were captured by Wei Xianzong's troops. I decided to disband the Shen family, learning from your methods at the Huai River, dividing the local families, leaving Shipping Governor Ning Zechen in charge of Jiancheng.

Afterward, Shi Meng led the Divine Mechanism Camp to Xiping. I returned to the Capital with the civil servants, only to learn about the many events that happened afterward..."

"The Emperor returned with the Divine Soul and told me about you and Heavenly Master Zhang going to the Mubei Forest to find a solution.

But since you left, there has been no news at all. The Emperor didn't know your state, whether alive or dead.

Later... One day, the Emperor said she sensed that the Split Soul accompanying you had dissipated, and she assumed... assumed that you might have already died."

Mo Chou took a deep breath, controlled her emotions, and continued:

"After that, the Emperor determinedly conscripted troops nationwide into Xiping, taking even the forces from Jubei City. Mr. Hai also left the palace and went to Xiping, killing Xu Jianwen before leaving.

The vast Yu Country only left Zhao Shixiong's troops in Yunfu to guard against the Liao people... other than that, all were sent to battle.

But... those monks from the Western Regions, somehow seemed divinely assisted. One time the Emperor returned and told me she suspected it was Xuan Yin using the Avatar technique, simultaneously descending upon many monks...

And without Heavenly Master Zhang, the Emperor defended Xiping alone, directly facing Xuan Yin and the Dharma King. It was too much for her to handle, and the entire situation began to collapse…"

As she spoke, a grim smile appeared on her face, picking up a military report spread open on the table, and tossed it to Zhao Douan:

"This is the latest military update. The Emperor, not long ago, led a group of elites to break into the Western Regions' border pass, Yumen Pass.

Hoping for a surprise attack, but it ended in failure. Now, the Emperor's lone force has been trapped within Yumen Pass, encaged in enemy territory, while the vast Xiping is steadily defeated!"

Zhao Douan raised his hand, caught the tossed report, glanced at it, and silently looked up, saying:

"So, you dismissed the palace maids, sitting here alone in sorrow?"

Mo Chou seemed enraged, coldly staring at him, yet tears continued to stream down:

"The military letter requires the court to send reinforcements to rescue His Majesty, but I...where do I have reinforcements to send? Tell me, where are the reinforcements? Tell me..."

Zhao Douan earnestly said:

"There's still me."

He walked forward seriously, placed the military letter on the table, raised his hand, and adjusted Mo Chou's black gauze hat under her dazed gaze.

Zhao Douan solemnly said:

"I'm going to Xiping now. You take a good rest, stay with the civil servants in the Capital, and wait for my return."

After speaking, he turned and was about to leave the study room.

Suddenly, Mo Chou stopped him, her hands carefully gripping the armrests of the chair, with a sliver of hope, asked hesitantly, her voice hoarse:

"Can you possibly bring... bring His Majesty... back?"

Zhao Douan's steps paused, with one foot over the threshold, without turning back, suddenly asked:

"Since it's already spring, why is it so desolate in the Capital this year?"

Mo Chou instinctively replied:

"His Majesty said that this past year, the world has undergone great changes, the climate has become chaotic, and spring is slow to arrive..."

"I understand."

Zhao Douan stepped out, and his figure vanished, the next moment, he appeared above the Capital, thousands of miles high in the sky.

Zhao Douan coldly surveyed the vast land, suddenly raised his hand towards the south!

"Command!"

Thousands of miles away, the spring breeze arrived, a phantom image of a female Divine appeared in the wind, it was none other than the Spring God of this realm!

"Go!" Zhao Douan raised his hand to capture the Spring God, expressionless, casually threw the Spring God towards the Capital.

Changing the heavens and earth!

On this day, the warm spring breeze, wrapped in gentle spring rain, softly brushed over the entire Capital, countless branches sprouted new buds, quickly growing into green leaves.

Bouquets of peach blossoms bloomed on the branches, vibrant peach flowers weighed down the branches.

Numerous citizens of the Capital stepped out of their homes in shock, witnessing a world flourishing with life and countless blooming flowers and plants.

Zhao family.

"Mother! The flowers have bloomed! The flowers throughout the city have bloomed!"

Zhao Paner hurriedly pushed open the bedroom door, shouting towards You Jinhua, who was inside gazing at the embroidered portrait of Dalang with tears.

Lihua Hall.

Qian Kerou, Shen Juan, and Hou Renmeng rushed out of the government office, gazing bewildered at the blooming large pear tree in the courtyard.

Imperial Palace.

Mo Chou stood numbly clinging to the door frame of the study room, gazing at the vibrant colors of the Imperial Garden, the fine rain gently wetting the black eaves, moistening her haggard face.

Outside the courtyard, a group of female officials, having just heard a shout from the study room, hurriedly rushed in, seeing Mo Chou standing motionless in the spring rain.

"Miss Mo! Don't get wet in the rain, what would happen if you caught a cold?"

A female official rushed over and then stopped in astonishment, staring incredulously at Mo Chou's temples:

"Your...your hair..."

Hair?

Mo Chou confusedly raised her hand, removed the wingless black gauze hat, at this time, another female official presented a round mirror before her.

Mo Chou clearly saw, in the mirror, her full head of shiny black hair like charcoal, without a hint of white.

Her haggard face quickly became rosy, filled with blood and flesh, suddenly, the woman in the mirror had bright eyes and white teeth, her spirit restored.

"Zhao Douan..."

Mo Chou suddenly guessed something, her eyes shone with an unprecedented light, she hurriedly looked towards the sky!

Vaguely visible, a white rainbow headed towards the west!

A deserted old Imperial City;

The palace flowers bloomed in a day.

The old palace maids remained;

Gazing expectantly at the Divine.