"I know," Li Xizhou said, "but I am the eldest sister."
No one spoke in Purple Chen Hall. The two gazed quietly at each other, their eyes almost the same color, their brows the same shape.
The Tang Emperor lowered his head, took up his brush and a sheet of blank paper, and wrote a few lines.
Li Xizhou waited in silence.
The Tang Emperor handed the finished note to a palace attendant, who passed it down to Li Xizhou.
Li Xizhou accepted it without speaking, merely remaining where she stood a little longer.
The Tang Emperor watched her just as quietly.
After a moment, Li Xizhou bowed. "Father, your daughter takes her leave."
"Mm. Take care."
Li Xizhou turned and left the great hall, crossing the threshold into the bright moonlight of the night. Her shadow beneath Purple Chen Hall's lamplight seemed about to chase after her.
The Tang Emperor suddenly said, "Close the doors."
Chapter 652: Rather Break These Bloodied Bones to Return This Flower to You (IV)
Moonlight spilled over the pear blossoms, and the smell of blood filled the spring night.
The round plates had shattered into sharp porcelain shards across the ground. The Qilin Sons all sat quietly at their tables. The night had deepened, lending everything a cold stillness. Li Chen had wrapped his robe around Li Cannan, and the two nestled together, with no one beside them but Qu Xin.
The Qilin Flame truly was a miraculous flame of the highest order under heaven. The poisonous markings on Li Cannan's head and neck had visibly faded, and her breathing gradually steadied. Her makeup concealed most of her pallor, and she now looked no different from anyone else.
Soup flowed beneath the porcelain shards. After watching for a long time, she saw a little