Return of the Pearl

Qianlong stood quietly in the spacious hall, like a silent and solemn statue. He stared at the front for a long time, as if he was under a spell and did not move at all.

Time seemed to stand still around him, as if no one had the heart to disturb his meditation. He just stood there quietly, like a rock in the long river of time, letting the years pass by, but always standing there.

His expression revealed an indescribable sorrow, a heart-wrenching sadness and pain. His eyes seemed covered by a thick haze, and endless sorrow drowned him layer by layer like a surging tide, leaving him deeply trapped and unable to break free.

His figure seemed a little lonely and desolate. In this quiet hall, he seemed like a soul forgotten by the world, enduring the inner pain and struggle alone, which made people feel pity and pity for him.

Qianlong's gaze was far away, his deep eyes seemed to be filled with a thousand words, and his heart was full of thoughts, like surging waves, difficult to calm down. He slowly opened his mouth, his voice low and powerful, "An Yi."

At this moment of complete silence, a black shadow flashed by as swiftly as a ghost. Its speed was so fast that it was almost impossible to catch its trajectory. Almost in the blink of an eye, the black shadow suddenly appeared in front of Qianlong as if possessed by a ghost.

The black shadow knelt on his knees and saluted respectfully, followed by a low and firm voice, "Please give your orders, my master." The voice seemed to come from the bottom of a deep valley, full of strength and determination, leaving no doubt about his determination to go through fire and water and sacrifice his life for Emperor Qianlong at any time.

Qianlong slowly turned around, his eyes filled with deep concern and worry. It seemed as if they could penetrate everything, reaching right to where Yun'er was. He spoke slowly in a deep, powerful voice, "You must spare no effort to ensure Yun'er's safety. Also, immediately send someone back to the capital to conduct a thorough investigation. I must thoroughly investigate who in the harem is colluding with Shandong."

An Yi paused slightly when he heard Qianlong's words. He frowned slightly, a hint of hesitation and worry flashed in his eyes. He said, "Master, if I leave, the security forces around you will be relatively weak. I am really worried about your safety..."

After hearing An Yi's words, Qianlong's face flashed with determination and resolve. His eyes seemed to be burning with fire, and his heart was filled with unwavering faith. He said solemnly, "The soldiers have sacrificed their lives and blood for the Qing Dynasty. Why should I fear such sacrifices? An Yi, you must go quickly and return quickly!"

An Yi nodded, a trace of determination flashed in his eyes, and he secretly made up his mind. He knelt on one knee, clasped his fists and saluted, "Master, rest assured, this servant will definitely fulfill his mission!"

After saying that, An Yi disappeared from Qianlong's sight in an instant like a black lightning. Qianlong looked at the direction where An Yi left, and his heart could not calm down for a long time.

Qianlong took slow and heavy steps, each step seemed to carry a thousand pounds of strength, and he moved slowly towards the room step by step with difficulty. He was like carrying a heavy mountain on his back, and his steps were unsteady.

Finally, he returned to the room. When his eyes met Xiao Yun's brows, which were still tightly furrowed even in his quiet sleep, it was as if a huge rock was thrown into his heart, stirring up deeper and stronger waves of emotion, as well as a surge of thoughts that were as surging and endless as the tide.

He gazed at Xiao Yun with deep affection, his eyes filled with endless concern and tenderness, as if he wanted to engrave every expression of Xiao Yun deeply in the deepest part of his heart.

Qianlong felt as if his heart was being pressed down by an enormous rock, making it so depressing that he could hardly breathe. In his mind, beautiful scenes of his time with Yun'er kept emerging. Those warm memories unfolded slowly before his eyes like a picture scroll, intertwining and blending with Xiao Yun's appearance at the moment.

All this made his heart like a turbulent sea, rolling and surging, difficult to calm down. Every memory was like a bright star, shining in his heart, making him immersed in it and unable to extricate himself.

In this moment so quiet that even the sound of one's heartbeat could be heard clearly, Qianlong felt as if thousands of words were surging in his heart like a tide. He wanted to get them out, but he didn't know where to start. Those words lingered in his throat, but he could never express them smoothly. Only the endless thoughts were entangled in his heart like a tangled mess, unable to dissipate for a long time.

Qianlong's face was filled with deep worry and concern. The worry hung between his brows like a dark cloud, and the concern was wrapped around his heart like a silk thread.

He thought to himself, "Yun'er, you must not make any mistakes! I am not afraid of the merciless invasion of wind and rain, nor the severe test of life and death. The only thing that scares me is that you encounter an unexpected event. My heart is always worried about you. I only hope that you can be safe and everything goes well. I will definitely find out those who are colluding with Shandong and will not let them succeed!"

Qianlong went to bed quietly, taking every step very carefully, as if he was afraid of making a sound and disturbing something. His movements were so gentle, as if he was protecting the most precious treasure in the world.

When he finally got close to Xiao Yun, he slowly bent down, stretched out his arms, and very carefully held Xiao Yun in his arms. During this process, his eyes were full of concern and tenderness, for fear that he would hurt Xiao Yun accidentally.

The moment Xiao Yun was embraced in his arms, Qianlong's heart, which had been heavy all the time, seemed to have found a harbor to rest in and was slightly comforted. An indescribable warmth and peace of mind surged in his heart. At the same time, a hint of worry spread in his heart. He thought secretly, worried about the situation in Shandong and Xiao Yun's safety. His furrowed brows were filled with deep concern and worry.

Qianlong was like a lonely man watching the stars in the night sky. He almost stayed awake all night, with thoughts surging in his mind like the tide. He stared quietly at the horizon, watching the gradually rising dusk, his heart filled with melancholy and worry.

Afterwards, he gently placed a kiss on Xiao Yun's forehead, a kiss filled with endless affection and attachment. Then, he slowly stood up, his movements as gentle as the breeze blowing through flower petals, and walked out of the room very quietly, for fear of disturbing the peaceful atmosphere.