Empress Of The Lost Kingdom

The rainstorm lasted for an entire week, flooding the Tu valley and submerging the Yu kingdom and hiding it from the outer world. 

A kingdom along with its Queen and army vanished from the earth.

The Elders of Yu clan and disciples from Mu sect who came to Jadeland once the war was over, could only find water everywhere,

As per the legends, the Dragon river took their homeland. 

The people who always been proud and protective of their homeland became refugees overnight.

Xue Lian, the true heir of the Xue family, became the sovereign head of the Qi kingdom and requested the Yu clan members to settle down in her kingdom.

However, Huo Yan informed that the Guan Empire and his brother already prepared a betrothal gift for their Empress.

For a person who was reluctant to leave the sight of the mighty Tu mountains, he prepared the Yun mountains and the eternal spring city as the betrothal gift.

The Yu clan and the Guan empire believed that one day or another Bai Yu Yue and Guan Tae Yang would come back to their homeland.

But it never happened.

Times have changed, days have passed yet the burning sun over the sky could not dry up the floodwaters that submerged the Yu kingdom.

When winter came, the water condensed to became ice and the whole place became part of the snow-covered Tu mountains.

Bai Yu Yue, who sacrificed her blood and made the vow with heavens, bound her soul to the sacred soil of the Yu clan. As a guardian spirit, she protected her land from enemies for ages.

As long as a woman who shares the bloodline with Bai Yu Yue, propitiate the gods with blood sacrifice, she was unable to free her soul from the soul binding vows and leave the sacred land of the Yu clan.

After centuries of waiting, a girl child was born in the Bai bloodline of the Yu clan.

A girl who was believed to be the reincarnation of the last queen of Yu kingdom, the direct descendant of the lunar maiden grew up as a commoner, but her dreams always revolved around the horrific sight of a woman drenched in blood and waiting for death.

That dream, that woman forced the girl to stay alive in the harsh adversities.

On countless nights, Bai Yu Yue kept appearing on her dreams and urged to search for her true roots and family.

She led the girl to her family, made her a princess and finally, brought her to the sacred soil of Yu clan.

The girl will make the blood sacrifice and set her free from the soul binding vows.

----------------------------

Li Juan's long eyelashes fluttered open when warm sunlight touched her through the gaps of the makeshift tent.

Was that dream?

The Queen. Did she really saw her again?

Even in the cold morning in Tu valley, her face and neck were drenched in cold sweats.

Her dream felt too real.

As if it was her who has gone through all those incidents.

Li Juan took the water bottle kept next to the bed and chugged down a mouthful as she stepped out of the bed with heavy steps. Her head was thrumming in pain, all she wants is to have some killer coffee to wake her senses. She walked out of the tent and poured the remaining water in the bottle on her face.

"It is just a dream, don't bother about it," Li Juan reminded herself, like the way she always has done.

"New day, new beginning!" She tried to smile and wiped her face with sleeves of her shirt.

The sun was already up in the sky.

Did she oversleep? Li Juan doubted and quickly grabbed her toiletries to head towards the river.

On the way, her gaze fell upon the familiar silhouette of Liang. 

He was sitting on the makeshift bench talking to some workers of excavation team while checking their blood pressure.

His gentle eyes and faint smile somehow helped to forget about her uneasiness. 

She stood there, silently watching his interactions with the workers. 

"Having a doctor with the team is nice," she mumbled.

Suddenly Liang turned his attention towards her and waved to come over.

"Good morning Miss Li," the workers greeted her. Li Juan returned their greetings with a smile.

"I thought you might have gone to take a bath," He asked with a smile as he invited her to sit next to him.

'Nah, I woke up late,"

"Are you having trouble sleeping?" His eyes narrowed as he examined her tired face.

" I had a dream," she said in a low voice.

"A nightmare?" The lines in his forehead creased up as checked her blood pressure.

"Don't know. It seemed like that."

"What did you see?

"I dreamt about her, the last queen. Grandpa said that she went missing. After that war, they didn't hear from her." Li Juan suddenly raised her eyes,

"Do you remember when I said that she asked me to save her?"

He nodded in agreement. How can he forget that? It was an important incident in Li Juan's life as well as his life.

"I thought someone tried to murder her, but in reality, it wasn't a homicide... It was suicide." Her voice had a tinge of melancholy.

"What?"

"When the Emperor was about to capture her she took her life." She touched her forehead as she tried to remember what she saw in her dream.

"But someone rescued her."

"Who?" Liang was suddenly curious. 

"I don't remember the details, all I know is, she was not murdered.

She even said that she cannot leave this land." Li Juan bit her nails and looked at him with a worried face.

"Do you think that will we able to find her here?"

"Let's look for her." He encouraged her with gentle eyes, "I am sure that you can find the answers to the questions that have been bugging you for a while,"

"I have this weird feeling Liang, something bad is going to happen." Li Juan scratched her hair, "Whenever something good happens to me-"

"Shhh," Liang interrupted and gently touched her arm. " It is going to be alright."

"Do you want to accompany me to the river?"

"Huh?" She asked in confusion.

"I mean it's already late, everyone will be running around..."

After the conversation with Tang Wei Sheng, he didn't have the courage to leave Li Juan alone for a moment.

This expedition is important for her and he will not allow anyone to interrupt her.

"Yeah, let's go," Li Juan rose from the bench and walked towards the river with him. 

Bai Yu who came out of the tent saw them together and his mind got filled up with uneasiness. 

There is something amiss. Liang already confessed that he has someone he likes but sometimes one cannot fails to notice his special treatment towards her.

"Why are you standing here?" Zhang Zhi Jun who saw the weird look on his brother's face asked in concern.

"Don't you think Jie is too close with brother Liang?"

"They are friends and it's natural-

"But she is your fiancée. You are supposed to be with her." Bai Yu argued,

"She needs medical attention that's why they're always together. And she is comfortable being with him rather than being with me." Zhang Zhi Jun replied without any second thoughts. 

"I know that." Bai Yu huffed, "I rarely see you two spending time alone. Back at home, Jie was surrounded by us and here, she always roams around with Bro Liang. If you hesitate now, then how are you going to live together?" Bai Yu asked his brother who was nick-named as "the Nation's husband,"

Zhang Zhi Jun remained silent.

He was confused to come up with a proper reason for his attitude towards the woman who was his suitor/ fiance. 

His image in movies and dramas always been a passionate boyfriend and responsible husband. But in real life, he was clueless when it comes to dating and marriage. 

However, with Li Juan, it wasn't the reason. He loved her but hesitated to get closer, especially after she asked permission to consider him as a brother.

-----------------------------

After travelling through the forest for more than two hours, both of the excavation teams reached the core zone where the "capital palace" was situated.

Everyone stood in front of the palace with their mouth open. Even after centuries, the architectural marvel of the Yu clan remained without any prominent damage.

Han Guang looked at the map and examined the giant building before his eyes.

It was the exact location where the star was marked, on the map which they got from the monastery in the valley.

However, the excavation team from Yun city were astonished by the resemblance of this building with the current Yu palace.

"I can't believe this," Su Wu couldn't help but smile.

"Did our forefathers build a replica of this palace in Yun city?" He asked Zhang Zhi Jun, who was gawking at the palace.

A huge traditional gateway made up of stones stood were covered with various plants and creepers. The pillars were decorated with intricate designs and the roof covered with coloured tiles, complete with two statues of Lion guarding the gigantic palace which is covered with moss and plants.

Since both of the teams reached the palace simultaneously, Han Guang suggested that they will enter the palace premises together.

All of them walked towards the giant stone door of the palace.

"Professor, it is locked," Cheng Tao who checked the structure of the door, shouted in excitement, "Should I break it?" He took the hammer and made a gesture to break it.

"Yaa, wait!" Han Guang stopped him, "What if falls down all at once? There will a lock, look for it,"

For archaeologists, every single piece of stone is valuable,

It is heartbreaking for them to break an archaeologically valuable item, even for studies.

Even after checking thoroughly for fifteen minutes, no one could find the lock.

Even the excavation experts from Yun city tried their luck, but no avail.

"Can I try?" Li Juan asked them and walked towards the door.

"Do the honours," Cheng Tao said and dramatically invited her to open the door.

Mei Lin and Ning Jing who remained as mere onlookers when everyone else was trying to open the door, immediately moved towards a place from where they could watch Li Juan.

"All these men couldn't find the lock or open the door. What is this bitch going to do?" Mei Lin scorned,

"She loves attention," Ning Jing narrowed her eyes in displeasure as she watched Li Juan examing the stone door.

"Miss, should we break it?" One of the workers asked in a hurried tone.

"Give me a minute," She requested and kneeled down next to a corner of the door. 

She touched the moss-filled door frame and took out her scrapper tool from her leather tool bag.

"Did you find anything, Lilly?" Cheng Tao asked with widened eyes.

"Yeah, Senior Cheng, can check the other corner?"

Cheng Tao immediately bent down with his scrapper tool.

Li Juan carefully removed the moss from the corners of the door and a ring of elemental symbols came visible to her eyes.

The five elemental symbols were arranged in a circular pattern.

"If my calculations right, it represents the elements." Li Juan said.

"Of course, it is the symbol of Yu kingdom, you will find it everywhere." Su Wu rebutted, "I think these doors can be only opened from inside,"

He turned towards his junior, "What do you think, Han Guang?"

"I think it is better to break it," Han Guang reluctantly said.

"Let me try something," Li Juan suggested, "I don't know whether it works or not,"

Li Juan pressed the symbols in a rhythmic order, within a moment the voice of rolling stones heard from inside.

"Yes, it is." She smiled and turned to Cheng Tao, "Senior Cheng, press the earth and fire symbols,"

Cheng Tao pressed the symbols in the ring of elements engraved in the door frame. Without any moments delay the rolling sound of stone heard.

"Can anyone press the top two corners?" Li Juan asked and immediately two tall workers followed her instructions and taped the symbols. 

There was a big ring engraved in the exact centre of the stone door, Li Juan repeated the process and,

Creak !!! 

It's open.