Although I've lived a long life--longer than any other I've known--there will always be death in the end. I can tell my time is up. Cultivators can live longer than regular people but qi can only slow down the aging process. My once smooth and pale skin is now wrinkled and yellowed; the same as his was before his death. I can't even breathe properly anymore.
Even though I should be afraid of death there's a part of me that has been waiting for this moment. Hoping for it. We can finally be together again. I'll take my place in the night's sky by your side and together we'll shine brighter than any other stars.
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News of Ye Qing's death was quickly spread throughout Fenghuang City and in a matter of weeks all of Daqin would find out. It wouldn't be an understatement to say that she was the most well-known and talked about figure in the empire. Children grew up listening to stories of her adventures and were taught the history of how her and her husband--Feng Daijiang--founded the empire. People lived their entire lives hearing about her exploits.
While the entire city seemed to be mourning Ye Qing's death it was mostly symbolic. To most people her impact was as a historical figure. Her son--Feng Longtian--was the public face of the empire and could defend it on his own so the people didn't need to rely on her to defend them anymore--only the oldest generation can even remember the days when she still made public appearances. Even though her research led to the creation of several magical devices which improved the day-to-day lives of the citizens she was already unable to come up with anything new for the past twenty years. To most people in Fenghuang this event was just another thing to talk about at the bar and around the dinner table. It's possible that among all of the people of Daqin there was only one person that truly mourned for her.
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In the darkness a man wearing a well-tailored white inner robe embroidered with the image of a phoenix using golden thread could barely be seen sitting at an elegant desk made from jade. If it weren't for the moon being full and the sky being clear then perhaps it would truly be impossible to see him, the wine that was running down the sides of his mouth, and the empty jars sitting around him--some of which were broken from being dropped in an irresponsible manner.
"You know that even if you keep drinking that wine you won't get drunk." An aged man in a formal white robe entered the emperor's study. While most people would avoid the risk of offending the emperor this man had a special privilege that allowed him to speak his mind.
"Xiao Qiang..." Feng Tianlong put down the jug of wine that he was drinking when he heard the man's voice; suddenly stopping what he was going to say when he saw the other man's face illuminated by the moonlight coming through the window. "...you've gotten old."
"If I'm old then what would that make you!? You're still a few months older than me!" Xiao Qiang or Li Qiang as he's actually named is Tianlong's nephew that was born of his only sister--or at least the only sister he recognized as family. Li Qiang couldn't understand why Tianlong would bring up his age when they were only born a few months apart. The fact that his few-months-older uncle called him old was ridiculous. Obviously his uncle is older than him! This had to be repeated because it was important.
While most people would have caught on to the fact that Tianlong was talking about his appearance, Li Qiang took his words more literally. Li Qiang might be a smart person but unfortunately this is limited to his research. Tianlong suspects that Li Qiang's inability to understand the context hidden behind his words is part of why Li Qiang hasn't had any children up until now--not that it'd be easy for him to find someone now at his age. At least Tianlong had the benefit of being the emperor so even if he didn't have children it wouldn't be too hard for him to find someone willing to give birth to some for him. He already has kids so he doesn't have to worry about this though so thinking about it now is pointless.
"I've heard from the servants that grandmother passed away peacefully in her sleep. At least we can take solace in knowing that she didn't suffer in the end."
When Tianlong heard this his face stiffened up.
"Eh? She didn't?" As Li Qiang grew up with Tianlong he could tell what was on his mind just from his expressions alone. Whenever Tianlong was trying to hide something it'd become extremely obvious. When holding court with the officials of his empire he could easily hide this by wearing a mask but right now he was in the comfort of his own study.
"Not quite. You should probably sit down before I tell you this." Li Qiang sat down at Tianlong's suggestion, knowing that whatever he was about to hear would shock him. "Your grandmother didn't die in her sleep. She was wide awake when it happened. I asked the servants not to say anything and even silenced the ones I wasn't one hundred percent sure would keep quiet about what happened. I'm afraid that if this got out then this country would be doomed."
Li Qiang could tell that Tianlong was upset about how she died--struggling to even find the courage to tell Li Qiang what happened. Could she have been assassinated by one of their empire's vassal states? That's impossible! Even if she was getting weaker with old age there's no way that there could be an assassin skilled enough to kill her! If they have that sort of strength then nobody would be safe! Even his uncle's life could be at risk! No wonder he had to silence some of the servants. If the people knew about this then there's no way they could live in peace.
"Your grandmother died..." Although Li Qiang was getting annoyed at the constant pauses that Tianlong kept taking he knew that whatever Tianlong said next would shock him. "...by choking on a grape."
"Eh?"
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This darkness that surrounds me is just like that of the night's sky but I can't see you anywhere. I'm sure that you're near me because I can feel this warmth surrounding me but why can't I see you anywhere? It feels like I've been looking for you for years. Ah. A light. I've finally found you.