Return of the Pearl

Qianlong sat alone in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, his heart full of doubts and worries about Xiao Yun's unusual behavior. He stared quietly at the void in front of him, his thoughts surging like a tide.

Xiao Yun's every move just now made him feel a little unusual. The look in her eyes when she looked at him was no longer as clear and innocent as usual, but contained some complicated emotions. It was a look he had never seen in her eyes before. Qianlong thought about it carefully, trying to find some clues from those subtle changes.

Qianlong thought of Xiao Yun's former liveliness and innocence, which were her most favorite qualities. But now, there seemed to be some hidden thoughts in her words and deeds, as if there was some unspeakable secret buried deep in her heart. Qianlong couldn't help but wonder what had caused her to change like this?

Shufangzhai

Ziwei watched Xiao Yun being injured so badly, and tears rolled down her cheeks like pearls from a broken string. Her heart seemed to be tightly grasped by an invisible hand, and the pain was so severe that she could hardly bear it. Xiao Yun in front of her made her feel extremely distressed.

When Xiao Yun saw Ziwei again, his heart was filled with emotion. All the good times they had spent together and the sincere and deep friendship they had shared all came to his mind at that moment.

"Okay, don't cry. It's just an arrow. It's no big deal." Xiao Yun really couldn't feel the pain in her body. She comforted Ziwei with a relaxed tone. She knew that Ziwei was worried about her and sad for her. She didn't want to make Ziwei suffer more.

"I have successfully completed the task you entrusted to me. This is something to be happy about, so smile." Xiao Yun tried his best to force a smile, trying to let Ziwei feel a little comfort and warmth from this smile.

Ziwei looked at Xiao Yun with tears in her eyes. She knew clearly that Xiao Yun was pretending to be strong. Her heart was filled with emotion and heartache. She held Xiao Yun's hand tightly, as if this could give Xiao Yun strength and allow her to survive all these difficulties and obstacles.

In this moment full of pain and emotion, the friendship between the two people became deeper and stronger. They supported each other and bravely faced all the hardships and tribulations together.

Xiao Yun was completely in a state of confusion at the moment. She opened her eyes wide, her eyes full of doubt and puzzlement. She was unable to recover from this bizarre situation. She couldn't understand why she was on the verge of death, but inexplicably returned to this familiar place.

Xiao Yun looked down at her body. She clearly remembered being struck by an arrow, but why didn't she feel a single ounce of pain? It was all too strange, too unbelievable. It made her feel like she was in a dream, unable to distinguish between illusion and reality.

In Xiao Yun's heart, countless mysteries seemed to be intertwined and entangled, and too many questions were churning. She didn't understand what was going on, why did fate play such a trick on her? She tried to sort out these chaotic thoughts, but found that the more she thought about it, the deeper she fell into confusion.

However, she could not confide her inner confusion and doubts to anyone, because once she told these bizarre experiences, everyone would look at her strangely, thinking that she had lost her mind and become crazy. This feeling of loneliness that no one understood and had nowhere to confide in made Xiao Yun feel extremely depressed and painful.

These mysteries and questions followed her like a shadow, weighing heavily on her heart, making her feel extremely heavy and confused. She was like a small boat lost in the darkness, drifting helplessly in the vast ocean, unable to find direction or see hope. The complex emotions intertwined in her heart, causing her to fall into deep pain and struggle.

However, after Xiao Yun pondered over it, she thought to herself: Now that I am here, I will make the best of it. Since fate has given her a chance to be reborn, she must live a different and wonderful life. This time, she was determined to work hard and study hard, and never be laughed at for not being able to read or write again.

Xiao Yun decided to learn from Ziwei seriously, not to please others, but only to improve his own talents and qualities.

Xiao Yun knows very well that only by constantly enriching himself and enriching his inner qualities can he emit a more dazzling light in this new journey of life.

She longed to become wiser and more profound, and no longer be the ignorant Xiao Yun who only knew how to laugh and play.

She will rely on her unyielding perseverance to pursue higher goals and realize bigger dreams. She firmly believes that as long as she keeps working hard, she will be able to do it and will be able to carve out a vast world of her own on this road of life full of challenges and opportunities.

Kunning Palace

After the queen heard what happened in the royal hunting ground, the doubts in her heart were like a surging tide, constantly surging and stirring.

The Queen had a vague feeling that all this could not have happened by chance, but was a conspiracy carefully woven by someone. "Where did the Emperor get so many hidden gems? There must be a mystery behind this!" the Queen pondered in her heart.

The queen walked slowly from Kunning Palace to Yangxin Palace with steady and firm steps. Each of her steps seemed to carry the worry and anxiety in her heart, and each step was so solemn.

Along the way, the queen's thoughts were as complicated as a tangled thread. Various speculations were intertwined and circling in her mind. Those speculations were like countless butterflies dancing in her mind, making her feel confused and unable to calm down.

Finally, after going through untold hardships, the queen arrived at the door of the Hall of Mental Cultivation. She took a deep breath, tried to calm her panicked heart, and then solemnly stepped into the hall.

Qianlong was seen sitting upright on the majestic dragon throne, his face expressionless, but his eyes inadvertently revealed a hint of barely perceptible boredom.

After bowing, the Queen spoke frankly, "Your Majesty, I have heard about what happened at the Royal Hunting Grounds. I am filled with doubts and cannot let them go. I believe there are too many suspicious points in this matter. I am afraid someone has ulterior motives and is deliberately plotting this. I hope Your Majesty can see through everything and not be kept in the dark!"

Qianlong frowned slightly and responded sternly, "Empress, you are really worrying too much. Ziwei is my biological daughter, there is no doubt about it."

Upon hearing this, the Empress's anger and dissatisfaction intensified. She raised her voice and said indignantly, "Your Majesty, this is absolutely extraordinary! I believe there must be some ulterior motive behind this. Isn't Your Majesty worried that someone will take advantage of this opportunity to confuse the royal bloodline and endanger the stability of the court?"

Upon hearing this, Qianlong was immediately furious. He slammed the table and shouted, "Queen, please stop scaremongering! I know what to do and will make the final decision!"

The Queen did not flinch, and continued to argue firmly, "Your Majesty, I am sincere and have the best interests of the court at heart. Can't Your Majesty listen to what I have to say?"

Qianlong stood up angrily, pointed his finger at the empress, and scolded her harshly, "You always make groundless speculations like this, making people feel uneasy! I think you are getting more and more confused as time goes by!"

The queen gritted her teeth and said with a firm look in her eyes: "If the emperor does not listen to me, he will regret it in the future!" After that, she turned around and left resolutely.

Only Qianlong was left standing in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, his face as gloomy as dark clouds, and a cold and intimidating aura emanating from his body.