Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 156: Responsibility
After more than four hours of flight, the aircraft finally returned to Anyang Prefecture at midnight. The moment Li Xian stepped off the aircraft, the surrounding area erupted in a warm cheer.
Xu Ren reacted quickly and asked in a low voice, “Young Master, did you sneak back?”
“No, I returned openly, with the imperial edict. Is something important happening? Otherwise, the Emperor wouldn’t have let me return so early.”
Xu Ren furrowed his brow slightly, “Maybe something really has happened, but the information hasn’t reached us yet. We’ll probably have to wait until tomorrow afternoon.”
Upon hearing this, Li Xian immediately walked towards his bedroom, “Since everything in Anyang is fine, we’ll talk about it tomorrow if necessary. I’ll rest first.”
Seeing Li Xian hurry off, Xu Ren and Yan Ze’an both laughed and dispersed. Li Xian being “sent back” surely meant something important was happening, but it probably wasn’t anything bad. So the two of them also went to rest. After working so long, Song Xing finally had time to close himself off in seclusion and was rewarded with two spirit stones. This time, Song Xing had finally reached the Foundation Establishment stage.
As for Li Xian, he almost flew into the bedroom, “Qingqing, I’m back, open the door!”
But instead of summer Qingqing coming out, it was Xiao Tao. The little girl was still in a sleepy haze, “Ah, Prince Consort, the princess said meeting at midnight isn’t in accordance with the rules.”
“Go, go, go, what do you know, little girl. By the way, don’t call me Prince Consort anymore. You can call me Young Master or Gentleman. If that doesn’t work, call me General. Just don’t call me Prince Consort.” As he spoke, he tried to step inside.
Xiao Tao blinked and opened her arms to block the door, “Young Master, you can’t go in!”
Li Xian was stunned. “At the front door, and I’m being stopped? Little girl, if you don’t move, I’ll spank you! With the fire stick used in the yamen, your skin will be torn apart!”
Xiao Tao bit her lip, but she still didn’t move and stayed in front of the door. She just looked at Li Xian with stubborn and wronged eyes.
Finally, Summer Qingqing finished dressing and walked over gracefully. “Xiao Tao, you go rest.”
Only then did Xiao Tao jump away in a hurry, but as she left, she looked at Li Xian as if he were a villain.
Li Xian didn’t care about this, grabbing Summer Qingqing and hugging her, “Wife, I missed you so much!”
“Miss me? You… you… close the door… sob…”
Li Xian kicked the door shut and, still holding Summer Qingqing, rushed into the room as though escaping. But once inside, Li Xian suddenly froze. He saw that the dressing table, headboard, bookshelf, and other places were filled with dazzling jewels.
Seeing these “jewels,” Li Xian looked as if he had seen a ghost. He immediately grabbed Summer Qingqing and backed out of the room. “Qingqing, where did you get those jewels from?”
Summer Qingqing, her clothes disheveled, didn’t expect Li Xian to stop at this “crucial moment,” and she was quite unhappy. But seeing Li Xian’s strange expression, she said, “Xiao Tao brought them back when she went home.”
“How long ago?”
“Almost a month.”
Li Xian’s face changed color, “A month’s time, and you’ve been facing these jewels every day?”
“Yes, what’s wrong? Is there a problem?” Summer Qingqing finally woke from her daze, realizing that Li Xian looked a little scared.
“Is there a problem? Of course there’s a problem! And it’s a big problem! Have you felt any discomfort in your body these past few days, such as abnormal insomnia, dizziness, or sudden weakness?”
Summer Qingqing furrowed her delicate brows, “I don’t think… so?”
“That’s good, that’s good!” Li Xian finally let out a sigh of relief. “We can’t stay in this room, let’s change to another one.”
There were plenty of empty rooms in Anyang Prefecture, but after this shock, Li Xian’s “mood” had been nearly completely ruined. They changed rooms, but only to quietly hold Summer Qingqing, enjoying the rare peace and warmth. However, in Li Xian’s heart, stormy waves were crashing—Uranium ore, oh uranium ore! Do you know what that means?
It wasn’t until dawn that Summer Qingqing finally lifted her disheveled head from Li Xian’s embrace, “Husband, are those jewels dangerous?”
“Of course they’re dangerous, didn’t I say so last night? Those are a type of gemstone called ‘uranium ore.’ It’s the most toxic natural mineral, and it has something called radiation, which can damage the essence of the human body and cause a condition similar to congenital diseases that cannot be cured.”
“Ah…” Summer Qingqing was indeed scared by Li Xian’s description. “Then I…”
“It’s fine, I’ve been observing your expression and health status all night, and there’s no issue for now. Actually, uranium ore’s natural toxicity is very low, and under normal circumstances, it’s almost harmless. Its radiation can’t even penetrate the skin. But if its dust or particles are inhaled into the body, it can cause ongoing harm. This thing can be considered a cursed gemstone.”
“Ah, this is a bit complicated to explain. Once the technology I mentioned is developed, you’ll understand. For now, just know you’re fine. Also, those gemstones, we’ll have someone dispose of them and bury them underground.”
“Until our technology reaches that point, it’s better for these things to stay underground.”
Summer Qingqing propped herself up and looked into Li Xian’s eyes, “Husband, you really know so much.”
“It’s a gift from heaven, I just somehow know it.”
“You’re lying. I’d be crazy to believe that!”
“Alright, alright, time to get up.” Li Xian playfully pinched Summer Qingqing a few times, causing her to angrily practice the White Bone Claw.
Later, Li Xian instructed Xiao Tao to lead the maids to wrap up the uranium ore and bury it one meter underground. He also ordered that the room’s doors and windows be opened and left idle for over a month.
Seeing Li Xian handle the situation so solemnly, Summer Qingqing vaguely felt that this object was not ordinary. Of course, many years later, she would understand just how extraordinary it was.
At the moment, Li Xian still needed to comfort Xiao Tao, who had been frightened.
Xiao Tao, upon seeing the way her gift to the princess was being handled, naturally worried. She feared she might even be punished. In fact, Xiao Tao had worried unnecessarily; Li Xian’s way of dealing with her was—to reward her with 500 taels of gold!
This left Xiao Tao quite puzzled. Not only was she not punished, but she was also given such a grand reward?
That day, starting from early morning, Li Xian took full control of Anyang. At that time, Anyang’s political situation was flourishing, but the reality was far from ideal. The recent fierce battles had resulted in more than five thousand soldiers killed and seven thousand wounded, with nearly half of Anyang’s military strength lost!
In the morning, Li Xian personally visited the cemetery to pay his respects.
The grim casualties struck Li Xian deeply. But behind the shock, what he saw were soldiers who fought to the death, fearless and brave!
A battle between fifty thousand and two hundred thousand soldiers required more than just courage; it required a heart ready to die for the cause.
Looking at the fresh tombstones and the grieving relatives, Li Xian suddenly felt an unprecedented weight on his shoulders. Turning to look at Xu Ren, Li Xian spoke with an unusual calmness, “Sir, perhaps I now understand why all kings cannot ascend to the heavens. It’s not because of karmic debt or insufficient virtue, but because of… this responsibility that cannot be let go!
It is this responsibility that prevents all kings from ascending.
When everyone else sacrifices for me, for this group, I must shoulder this responsibility!
Perhaps kings do not truly fail to ascend. There is only one way to ascend—and that is… for the entire nation to ascend together!”
Xu Ren looked at Li Xian for a long time, then, for the first time ever, bowed deeply in front of him. “Young master, from today, you are the king of Anyang!”
After that, Li Xian personally oversaw the funeral, fulfilling his promises with various rewards, compensations, and other measures.