Chapter 190 Farewell to an Old Friend

"And so, several thousand more years passed."

"One day, Buddha appeared before it and led it into the cycle of reincarnation, bringing it to the human realm."

"It was reborn as the daughter of an official, named Zhu? In the same year, Lu was also reincarnated."

Eighteen years later, Ganlu became the top scholar in the imperial examination. At the first imperial banquet, Zhu and Ganlu met for the first time.

"Lu was handsome and elegant, and at the banquet he won the favor of the emperor's daughter, Princess Changfeng."

"Zhu was not in a hurry when she saw this. In her heart, she and Lu were destined to be together."

"The second time Pearl and Ganlu met was when they were offering incense at the temple."

"When Pearl went up to talk to her, she found that Ganlu did not recognize her and was very sad."

"While Zhu was still immersed in grief, she received two pieces of news."

"One was that the emperor betrothed Princess Changfeng to the top scholar Lu, and the other was that the emperor betrothed Zhu'er to his Prince Cao."

"Upon hearing the news, Pearl was devastated and fell ill, her soul leaving her body."

"Upon learning of this, Gan Cao came to visit her, and stayed by her bedside, heartbroken, expressing his love and weeping uncontrollably."

"At this moment, the Buddha appeared again. Seeing that Zhu'er still did not understand, he sighed and explained to Zhu'er, whose soul had left her body, before the bed: 'Little spider, don't you understand? In your life, the dew is just a passerby. It was brought by the wind and taken away by the wind, so it belongs to Princess Changfeng.'"

"During your time living in the temple, the grass beneath your hair silently watched over you, admiring you, but it could not express its feelings for you, and you never even glanced down at it."

"It will follow you into the cycle of reincarnation until you enter the cycle of rebirth."

"The marriage agreement with you was something it pleaded with the emperor for, hoping only to rekindle our past love..."

"Upon hearing this, Zhu'er felt as if her heart was being torn apart, and she was filled with grief."

Seeing the sadness on Mu Qing's face, Murong Yu reached out and took his hand, comforting him, "Qing, don't be sad, it's all fate's arrangement."

"For licorice, pursuing its beloved pearls, even through hardship, is a sweet experience."

"As for Pearl, knowing that there is a licorice root that loves her wholeheartedly, she must have been able to let go of her resentment."

Mu Qing felt the warmth of the hand enveloping her, and looked at Murong Yu, who was deeply in love with her, beside her. The gloom in her heart dissipated, replaced by a sweet feeling.

Looking into the distance, one sees blue skies and white clouds, flowing water and fishermen—a scene of peace and harmony.

His heart calmed down as well.

"In the bustling world, among the passersby, is it a chance to forge a bond or to overcome a tribulation? Whether it's a blessing or a curse, whether it's worthwhile or not, only the one who faces it knows..."

Beijing

After being away for several years, Mu Qi returned to the Prime Minister's residence once again.

He has remained single all these years.

Despite being in his fifties, he is still in good health.

Although his temples were already gray and wrinkles had appeared at the corners of his eyes, his eyes were even brighter and more spirited, full of wisdom, and his whole demeanor was gentle and approachable.

Since Mu Qing handed over the profits of Fangcao Pavilion to him more than 30 years ago, he has used the money to build many schools across the country, providing free education for local poor students.

He himself frequently traveled between these institutions of learning, imparting knowledge and answering questions.

Several years ago, after resigning from his official post, he traveled to various places and did not return home for many years.

Over the years, Fangcao Pavilion has amassed a great deal of revenue, but Mu Qi has never used a single penny for himself. Including his own salary and the savings of the Prime Minister's Mansion, he has used them all for the benefit of the country and its people.

He meticulously recorded every penny of Fangcao Pavilion's profits over the years and how the money was spent, and then bound it into a book.

The ledgers have already filled several large boxes.

He kept waiting, waiting for the day Mu Qing would return.

Show it to the other person and tell them about the events that have happened over the years.

He wanted to tell Mu Qing that he had fulfilled the task entrusted to him back then: to use the profits from Fangcao Pavilion to support his parents and assist the new emperor.

After dealing with matters in Jiangnan, Mu Qing originally planned to leave, but after some deliberation, he decided to return to the capital to visit the Prime Minister's residence.

Mu Qing hid under a large tree in the courtyard of the Prime Minister's residence, looking at Mu Qi, who was over fifty years old, inside the house.

Two years ago, Mu's father and Sima Qingqing passed away one after the other, and now only Mu Qi remains as the master of the Prime Minister's mansion.

After Mu's father and Sima Qingqing passed away, Mu Qi dismissed the extra servants in the mansion, leaving only a few to clean and cook.

Looking at Mu Qi's lonely figure, Mu Qing felt a pang of sadness.

After hesitating for a long time, he ultimately did not show himself, but instead left a Blood Spirit Fruit in front of Mu Qi.

Mu Qi looked at the Blood Spirit Fruit that had appeared out of thin air in front of him. The fruit was green and its fragrance was overwhelming.

He reached out his hand in a daze, and the fruit fell into his palm on its own.

The moment the fruit landed in his palm, two large golden characters appeared in the air: "Take Care".

In short, I wish you all the best.

Muqi seemed to have sensed something, and quickly walked out of the room, looking around.

Unfortunately, no one was seen.

He looked down at the fruit in his hand, his eyes gradually filling with tears, and a single tear rolled down from the corner of his wrinkled eye.

After a moment, Mu Qi tightened his grip on the fruit in his hand and gave a relieved smile.