Received A Wife From The Civil Affairs Bureau Ch.46

Jiang Ziquan lay there exhausted and quickly fell asleep. Soon after, the misty fog appeared and she returned to the same scene as her dream from before. This time, the little Daoist who was actually her, was a lot older and was an adolescent girl now. Her hair was now flowing past her waist and the uniform she now wore was embroidered with phoenixes. The jade pendant still hung at her waist as she earnestly read her book. Her face was similar to Jiang Ziquan but different enough that Jiang Ziquan couldn’t help but gasp a little. 

“So it turns out I can be so beautiful.” Jiang Ziquan stepped closer and studied the girl. She was indeed a rare beauty. 

“Princess, the high priest has arrived.” The little servant girl had her head bowed, not daring to look up at the person reading as she relayed the message respectfully. 

Qingyin set the book in her hands down and nodded, “Let her come in.” After watching the little servant leave, she stretched her limbs and she let herself relax lazily in the chair. In just a few seconds, the girl’s previously elegant demeanor had completely disappeared. 

Jiang Ziquan realized that this girl had two different sides to her, but she personally preferred the unrestrained side of the girl. She moved closer to look through the book the girl was reading and although she couldn’t read the word, there were portraits of handsome guys and beautiful women. This girl even had a similar taste in books like her. 

“Greetings, Your Royal Highness.” 

The somewhat cold yet clear voice punctuated the air and it was a voice that Jiang Ziquan could recognize anywhere. She studied the high priest who was paying respects and saw that the face was exactly like Teacher Shen’s. However, the high priest’s eyes were cold and her entire body exuded an icy aura. Her temperament was different from that of Teacher Shen’s and more like the superstar, Su Yan.

“Get up.” Qingyin seemed stunned by the high priest’s appearance and spoke slowly after clearing her throat. She waved at the servant behind her, sending them out of the room. Her fingers tapped against the table unconsciously as she was lost in her thoughts. She was the princess of the Qian Kingdom but had willingly entered the mountains as a practitioner to pray for her imperial father, the emperor. Her Daoist name was Qingyin and few knew about her practicing as a Daoist. And yet, she did not know what she was guilty of as a skilled poisoner had harmed her by giving her a poison that prevented her from growing any hair even after so many years. 

She could already guess what the history books would call her years from now: the first bald princess, Shen Qingyan. [1]

Meanwhile, Zhe Shuang was in no hurry as she sat there coldly. She did not seem to notice the conflicted feelings within Qingyan’s heart and her eyes were void of emotions. She looked more like a statue than a human. 

Jiang Ziquan glanced at the two of them and thought that they looked like a pair of immortals. So if this scene before her is the past life of her and Teacher Shen, then she must admit they were both eye-catching beauties. She couldn’t help but smile at the thought, however, she felt that the difference between this Teacher Shen and the one she knew was just too great. 

Shen Qingyan stared at the high priest, thinking in her heart that since this high priest was given this title when she was young and claimed to be a genius seen only once in a hundred years, her sorcery must at least be competent enough. So if she couldn’t even heal her of this position, then this high priest will be blamed. After struggling with these thoughts, her heart calmed, and she removed the three thousand strands of fine hair on her head. 

Jiang Ziquan: “……”

So it turned out that even the ancients wore wigs and a wig of such good quality that even she, a modern person, would have a hard time telling it was fake. She looked closely at the shiny bald head and felt that the girl wasn’t ugly at all. Perhaps the girl was a little too narcissistic or something. 

Qingyan’s face turned red and bit her lip. She knew she looked funny with her bald head and asked worriedly, “Can it be cured?”

Jiang Ziquan noticed the changes in the frosty Zhe Shuang’s eyes and realized that there was some warmth in those cold eyes now. Perhaps because the Teacher Shen in this life was not near-sighted because those eyes were even brighter than when Teacher Shen smiled. 

“It can be cured.” There was even a faint smile on the previously icy face as she walked over. She lifted the sleeve on her right arm, there was a long blood scar on the inside of her wrist and as she stood behind Qingyan, she opened a new wound over the scar, the blood covering the original. After the wound stopped bleeding she said, “Princess, you are cured now.”

Jiang Ziquan watched this interaction and thought about the first time these two met. The little maiden had said to Qingyan then that she will help Qingyan be able to eat meat without having her hair grow out. If her analysis was correct, she had a feeling that Qingyan had completely forgotten their first meeting.

Qingyan rubbed her bare head in disbelief and asked, “Are you sure?”

“I’m quite sure.” Zhe Shuang smiled at her, an unusual blush on her face, and light drops of sweat formed on her forehead. Her eyes dropped as she said, “My name is Zhe Shuang, your highness.”

“Zhe Shuang, that’s a good name.” It seems that Qingyan really had forgotten about the young shrine maiden and didn’t mind that Zhe Shuang had introduced herself. After hearing that her baldness was cured, she joyfully answered back, “My name is Qingyan, the Qingyan from the idiom: ‘the Yellow river is clear and the sea is calm.’[2]” 

Jiang Ziquan looked at Zhe Shuang’s face for a reaction and saw the shy look she had seen so many times on Teacher Shen on the maiden’s face. It seems that the maiden was likely in love with this little princess. 

This is infatuation!!! Teenage romance!  

Before Jiang Ziquan could vomit at the cliche of it, the scene in front of her changed rapidly. Mostly it was scenes of the two teenagers growing up. In one scene, they were racing on a pair of horses and Qingyan seemed to have said something that caused Zhe Shuang to punch her playfully. In another scene, the two of them sat on a bed together, Zhe Shuang braiding Qingyan’s short hair as they whispered to each other. One scene, the two of them were hiding from the rain in a broken temple and by then Qingyan’s hair was very long. And yet, the girl was still clumsy as ever and couldn’t even roast a chicken correctly. While Zhe Shuang frowned and scolded her, she still spoiled the girl and roasted the chicken for her. 

“Hey, why don’t you eat meat?”

“Because I promised a little Daoist that I wouldn’t eat meat so my good karma can be transferred onto her later.” Zhe Shuang smiled lightly as she stuffed a slice of fruit into her mouth. 

The fire crackled and the warm light reflected their smiling faces. 

The scene changed again and this time they were in a large wine cellar. A woman in white was brewing alcohol and she wore simple clothing with only a plain hairpin inserted in her tightly wound up hair. The woman dressed a bit like the Qingyan from younger, but unexpectedly when the woman turned around, it was Zhe Shuang. 

She seemed to have just finished brewing a jar of wine and sniffed the wine gently. She frowned a little and grabbed a knife, slicing her wrist as she allowed the blood to drip into the jar, straight into the wine. 

“You don’t even drink alcohol so why do you keep brewing it?” Qingyan’s voice called out. Her face had a touch of maturity in it and her voice sounded more sophisticated now. 

“Then you drink it.” Zhe Shuang didn’t answer her and slid the jar of wine towards Qingyan, a pampering expression on her face. 

“The Qing country and the Qian Kingdom intend to go to war.” Qingyan accepted the wine and said helplessly as she looked at the woman who smiled softly at herself. 

The shrine maidens that Zhe Shuang was a part of was actually an elite group of practitioners that were the greatest weapon of the Qing country. Over tens of thousands of practitioners were under her care and Zhe Shuang could not abandon them. As the third princess of the Qian Kingdom, Qingyan could not abandon her people. Therefore, it was inevitable for the two of them to face each other in battle one day. 

But she never thought that one day her sword would be pointed at Zhe Shuang. 

The spicy wine turned sweet and mellow and Qingyan closed her eyes in satisfaction. The Zhe Shuang who didn’t drink a lick of wine could brew the most intoxicating alcohol. The Zhe Shuang who did not eat meat could still create a sumptuous feast from nothing. 

All because of her. Because she loved to drink and she loved to eat meat more than anything else. 

Such a good person like Zhe Shuang will one day become her enemy. 

“Zhe Shuang, will you kill me?” Qingyan lay on the table, her eyes dazed. She was already drunk by the looks of it. 

When Zhe Shuang heard her words, her eyes seemed to redden as she cleaned the table, “you’re drunk.”

Jiang Ziquan glanced at the wine glass sitting in front of the Qingyan. It was a jade wine glass with a beautiful pattern carved into it, and the wine turned red when poured into it. She knew the name of this wine, it was Mingzui. 

She watched as Zhe Shuang gently hugged Shen Qingyan, patting her head as tears streamed down her face, “Idiot, why would I willing part with you?”

For some reason, Jiang Ziquan’s eyes felt sour and she turned away as she couldn’t bear to watch any farther. 

The next scene changed and it was time for the soldiers to go off to war. Shen Qingyan had on an immaculate military uniform, an exquisite sword handing at her waist. There was a determination in her eyes and her originally delicate face was now sharper, no longer the little girl she once was. 

“I wish you a victorious return.” Zhe Shuang gave her a piece of jade, carefully tying it around her waist and smiled. 

Jiang Ziquan recognized that jade, it was the same jade she wore around her neck every day. 

The jade was inscribed with half of Zhe Shuang’s lifeforce and her sorcery. There was even a piece of hair inside it. 

Qingyan fidgeted with the jade, questions sprouting in her heart. She wanted to ask if Zhe Shuang was going to fight. She wanted to ask her if she would kill her if they met on the battlefield. 

However, looking at the smiling woman in front of her, Qingyan couldn’t bring herself to ask these questions and forced a smile, “Wait for me.”

After saying so, she quickly got on her horse and left, never looking back again. The left-behind Zhe Shuang looked up at the dark clouds, her voice trembling as she said, “It seems like it will rain today.”

Jiang Ziquan watched as the rain came falling down and as that lone figure shivered in the rain. Her eyelashes fluttered and tears spilled out. Jiang Ziquan wanted to reach out to her and wipe away those tears, but she could not touch the woman. She felt anxious and could only try blocking the rain, using her body as a shield. However, the woman seemed to have sensed her as she saw Zhe Shuang retreating from her. 

She clearly couldn’t see her and yet Zhe Shuang would not allow another to be so intimate with her. 

She was Qingyan’s Zhe Shuang after all, not Jiang Ziquan’s Teacher Shen. 

The war was fierce and red blood stained both of Shen Qingyan’s eyes. The practitioners she faced were aggressive but in a way that harmed themselves as well as their enemies. She thought that she could win quickly and without dying when Zhe Shuang appeared in front of her. She appeared on the other side of the battlefield. 

Qingyan’s hand shook uncontrollably, the sword in her hand clattering to the ground. Her eyes were a little blurry as she watched the woman in front of her smile at her. She couldn’t do it, she wouldn’t do it. A brave general of the Qian Kingdom saw the strange expression on Qingyan’s face and thought she was in trouble. He pushed her behind him and made sure she was safe before gathering the army to charge at the enemy. One by one, the practitioners fell to the ground but were cured again and again by Zhe Shuang. The practitioners would stand again and join the fray with an increased bloodthirstiness. Many practitioners died that day, but so did many soldiers. Bodies piled on the field and corpses covered every stretch of that wartorn ground. After who knows how long, finally the great high priest, Zhe Shuang, fell. 

The war was won. The Qian Kingdom had won. 

“Qingyan, will you accompany me to see the fall harvest?”Zhe Shuang’s face was pale, no longer full of the vivaciousness of life it once had. Every day she was relying on heavy dosages of potions and medicine to survive. The doctor had said she might even survive past this winter. 

Qingyan set the bowl of medicine down, suppressing the anguish in her heart as she put on a brave front. She smiled and nodded, “I will.”

After the war, the Qing country had become a vassal state of the Qian Kingdom. Qingyan had also inherited the throne and became the emperor. And as sorcery was an undisputed combat power that every country needed, the ministers had turned a blind eye when their monarch had brought back a dying practitioner to the palace. 

“Are we, cough, eloping?” 

When Qingyan heard those words, her hands shook a little as she held Zhe Shuang. There were tears in her eyes as she answered, “En, I will elope with you.”

Zhe Shuang closed her eyes with satisfaction, her arms still wrapped around Qingyan’s neck. Her body shivered in those warm arms, and yet she was still smiling. 

When they left, they escaped in a hurry. Qingyan specifically chose a remote place to shake off those annoying servants of hers and found a place where she could hide Zhe Shuang from their prying eyes. The place she chose was where the lands were lush and the local residents had simple, yet gentle temperaments. The children in the village had never seen someone as beautiful as Zhe Shuang before and would come to visit her every day. They joked and teased each other, and would accompany Zhe Shuang when Qingyan had to return to deal with matters in the Palace. Sometimes, when Zhe Shuang was in good spirits, she would teach the children how to read and write. 

After a few days, Zhe Shuang’s face seemed to glow again. However, the doctor told Qingyan that this was only temporary, that it was the surge of energy one gets right before one dies. When Qingyan was informed of this by the doctor, she tried to force down her shock. Her back was to Zhe Shuang so that Zhe Shuang could not see the tears that fell onto the ground. Zhe Shuang was holding a bowl of grains in her hands at that time, looking no different than a regular farmer. Qingyan forced a smile and teased, “Your skin is getting dark recently, must be from going outside so much. 

Zhe Shuang didn’t respond and only smiled. 

“I think it’s time we changed your name, give you a new nickname. The name Zhe Shuang is too pale sounding, not suitable for you.” She straightened and thought for a while before laughing, “Why don’t we call you Black Soil or something?”

“And what about you?” Zhe Shuang did not mind the nickname and looked at her quietly before saying, “Then I think it’s appropriate to call you Plain Water since your skin is still pale and plain as before.”

In the end, we still suit each other, even our names are compatible. 

“It’s not bad. Wait until we get older, I will finally be relieved of my duty. I will move out of the Palace and help you build a big house. There you can open a school and teach children how to read and I can finally enjoy a cup of wine in peace.” The image of such a future appeared in Qingyan’s mind, a heartbroken smile appearing on her face. 

Zhe Shuang opened her mouth, her body suddenly very tired and her voice quiet as she said, “Qingyan, come here and hug me.”

Qingyan’s footsteps seemed heavy to her as she walked over to the woman, one step at a time. She gently held the woman in her arms, the once warm body now felt unbearably cold. She couldn’t help but choke a little on her words, “I’m here.”

Zhe Shuang wiped the tears falling from Qingyan’s eyes and remembered that dirty little Daoist. The one who used to warmly called her ‘Sister’ and said her name sounded nice while introducing herself as Qingyin. 

When she was born, she was designated to be the heir to the High Priest. She had no friends when she was younger and other than her parents, no one in her memories would call her Zhe Shuang. They would respectfully call her ‘High Priest’ instead and always did so with a little fear. 

In her childhood, her only friends were the worms in the dirt and all she did was practice her sorcery. When she met little Qingyan, someone who didn’t care about her identity or that her only friends were worms, she felt happy. Qingyin’s eyes were always bright and the corners of the mouth were always lifted in a smile. The time she spent with Qingyan was when she was the most content. 

But then she had left so suddenly and the name of Qingyan was like a dream, leaving without a trace. She could not find her for several years because there was no young priest named Qingyan on the mountain. She was devastated, her heart broken into pieces. She wanted to ask Qingyan, why did you lie to me? Why didn’t you say a word of parting when you left? But most of all, she wanted to ask her, did you leave because you were afraid of me? Afraid of my identity as the High Priest? 

Later, a Princess of the Qian Kingdom had declared she was looking for a doctor and the Qing country ordered her to kill the Princess. However, she didn’t expect that the third princess of the Qian Kingdom was her dirty little Daoist. She had forgotten all about her ‘Sister shrine maiden’ and had forgotten that her bald head was of her own doing. She had forgotten everything about Zhe Shuang and now she had appeared in front of her as the enemy. 

Yet, even if they were enemies, Zhe Shuang couldn’t live without the warmth she gave her. Couldn’t live without the only light in this dark and dreary life of hers. 

For her, she was willing to give up even her own life. For her, she was willing to give up everything. But she could not abandon the innocent practitioners. It was her lifelong mission as the High Priest to protect these people and she could not abandon them for anything. And so, she had divided her lives into two parts, one part to the practitioners, and the other part to Qingyan.

Now, she was dying. She lay in her now useless body and felt she had not lived her life in vain. Yet, she could not reconcile with her fate, for she had regrets. She regretted that she could not stay with this light that had illuminated her darkness. Even now, Qingyan’s eyes were still so bright as she looked down at her. Her voice was rough as she squeezed out her words, “Qingyin, did you know? The one who falls in love first must face the cruelest of hardships.” 

A mouthful of blood spewed from her mouth as she said that, dripping onto Qingyan’s clothes. Her hand slowly slipped from Qingyan’s grasp, and never moved again. As she lay there, her expression was serene, like she was only sleeping. 

Qingyan touched the beautiful woman’s face and cradled her in her arms. Tears slowly slid down her face and she said softly, “Then I will fall in love with you first in my next life.”

Jiang Ziquan witnessed all this and watched till the end. Zhe Shuang was given a royal funeral in the Qian Kingdom. Afterward, she watched as the once illustrious emperor fell into decline. Every night she would reminisce as she looked at the piece of jade in her hands, drinking until she passed out. Her eyes were always red, her face pale, and she lived like a dead person. The originally plump face had become so thin until she was only a sack of bones. 

Jiang Ziquan felt her heart suffocate, she didn’t want to watch anymore. She just wanted to return to her Teacher Shen. For Qingyan, for Zhe Shuang. Yet, she didn’t know how to leave and could only watch the sorrowful days of the emperor. 

“Your majesty, the practitioners have found a solution.”

Hearing this, Qingyin seemed to come alive again and stumbled as she stood. The solemn dragon robes were crooked and soiled, and she looked almost like a desperate beggar. Her face was determined as she asked, “What is it?”

“Sacrifice.”

The incense burned all day, and it was nearly two meters tall as it stood there. Jiang Ziquan, who looked from afar, could even smell the incense from where she was standing. 

The people on the ground kneeled respectfully, red silk ribbons hung around their bodies. There were tears dripping down their faces as they bowed and wailed. Sitting alone on the other side of the incense burner was the soulless Shen Qingyan. They watched as she used a sharp knife to cut her own wrists, bright red blood squirting out and flowing into the ritual formation under her feet. And yet, her expression was one of a person breaking free. She can finally return to her Sister Shrine Maiden’s side. 

“Zhe Shuang, I’m coming.” 

The sacrifice required blood, and so she will give it the blood of an emperor. 

Half of her blood will take her to the one she sought after, and the other half will ensure they will end up together, forever. 

Jiang Ziquan turned her head towards the sky and saw that the white clouds were stained with red. The kneeling people on the ground were crying, wailing at the gods. The emperor who they had fought for and died for was now gone. 

“Lord Su, listen and receive this imperial decree. The emperor has granted you the guardian’s divine diagram to use. May you protect and serve her forever.”

“This humble servant receives her majesty’s decree.” 

Su Qingwen knelt down to receive his beloved emperor’s edict. His esteemed emperor was long gone but had left him an opportunity to meet her again. He will protect his beloved emperor’s things like he is protecting his memory of that bright young princess he once saw dancing among the flowers. 

He will wait for her, even if he has to wait for hundreds of years. He will wait even if they never meet again. 

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Author’s note:

Ai….I wrote the entire previous life in just one chapter….

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T/N notes:

Alright, I’m going to go hide in a corner and cry now. 

[1] The Qingyan in this sentence is spelled [清晏] while her Daoist name is spelled [清音]. The second character is different, one is Qingyan while the other is Qingyin. The ‘a’ and ‘i’ makes a big difference (especially when Zhe Shuang calls her by her Daoist name in her last words.)

[2] Chinese characters tend to have similar sounds but different meanings, so when introducing yourself it is customary to say your name and then tell people which ‘character’ you mean by giving an example. It’s kinda hard to explain for those without Asian names but say your name is Wang Zhong (王忠) and you introduce yourself by saying that the Wang (王) is from the word Kingdom (王国) and the Zhong (忠) is from the word faithful (忠心). 

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