83 Sheng Zhuang Wen / Fei Ma Xiang Shan

  The residence of a noble family.

  The county lord's carriage arrived at the gate. Old Master Qi and Madame Qi stood at the gate to greet them.

  Li Ji Yao got down from the horse carriage and saw a small gate, similar to the layout of the palace, with a small courtyard and a small house. The fresh and clean environment immediately improved her mood. When Qi Lao Ye said that his home was humble and not as good as the Long Gong Zhu's mansion, Li Ji Yao said: "This place is great, it's much better than that broken house in the princess's palace."

  Who dares to speak of their own home like this? Moreover, it's the Chang Gong Zhuang Manor bestowed by the great ancestor!

  Madam Qi recalled what Golden said and felt a sense of emotion: This young lady is indeed an oddball.

  Mr. Qi, who had been an official for a long time, was afraid that Li Jiuyao was speaking sarcastically, so he replied cautiously: "The Long Princess's mansion is where the princess and her noble family live, while this humble abode of mine is just a shabby place."

  Li Jiya smiled and said, "The princess's residence is not called a home, but a big house. Every day, countless people come and go, and they all treat it as their own refuge."

  The three members of the Qi family could only listen repeatedly to Li Jiuyou's boastful words, because it was the young lady of the county who criticized her own family, and who else could say otherwise.

  The Qi family welcomed Li Jiayao into the house. Mrs. Qi walked ahead, leading the way and introducing Li Jiayao: Although our home is small, we have raised many flowers and plants, which can be considered as a way to cultivate one's temperament.

  As she was about to step over the threshold, Li Ji Yao's skirt hem got caught, and San Qi rushed forward in a flurry to support her mistress while helping her adjust the accessories at her waist. A ring-shaped jade pendant appeared before the eyes of Madame Qi and Golden Auntie.

  "Madam, this..." Golden Auntie's eyes snapped shut as if bitten by an insect.

  Madam Qi's expression hesitated for a moment, and then quickly recovered, smiling: "The princess's jade pendant is really beautiful."

  "Does it look good?" Li Ji-yao looked back at Madame Qi as if she had heard the biggest joke, "This thing, not a single person said it looks good."

  Madam Qi smiled dryly: "How could the ornament worn by the young mistress be unattractive?"

  Sanqi thought that this wife was ignorant and had many ugly things, like the emperor, sometimes forced to wear something passed down from ancestors, not necessarily good-looking. So she pouted her mouth to speak for her master: "This is a protective charm that Princess Chang got for Princess Jun."

  It turned out to be so. Madam Qi and Jin's maid exchanged a knowing glance.

  "Please, young mistress, come in." Madam Qi led the young mistress into the house.

  Behind them, Old Master Qi and his daughter Qi Yunyan walked together. Old Master Qi held his hands behind his back, with a worried expression on his face, saying: "Your mother heard that Palace Official has taken an interest in you, and plans to send a matchmaker to sound things out another day."

  "What does Dad think?"

  "It's naturally a good thing to be able to marry into the Miya family. However, as for Mr. Miya himself..."

  It can be seen that Gong Xiangru is not highly regarded by his fellow officials.

  As the emperor's uncle, he is a red person in front of the holy one. Moreover, the palace and the previous emperor seem to have an unclear relationship. Palace Xiangle does things according to the imperial edict, and in others' eyes, he seems like Li Zimo's lapdog.

  Zi Yunyan didn't say anything.

  Mr. Qi let out a deep sigh.

  A small servant rushed into the door and said to the father and daughter: "Master, young lady, it's all chaotic outside."

  "What?" Old Master Qi was stunned.

  Is it true that Empress Dowager and Grand Empress Dowager have moved into the palace? Could it be, is a coup really happening?

  The little servant was so anxious that he couldn't speak clearly: "They say the empress didn't die, she crawled out of her coffin."

  Ordinary people wouldn't think about how someone came back to life, they only know that a person who was originally dead suddenly revived, and their first thought is either "exploding corpse" or "ghost".

  A countless number of people took to the streets, blocking the roads and making them impassable. Among them were foreign envoys. The doors and windows of the houses along the street were all open, with everyone sticking their heads out.

  Is it human? Is it ghost?

  This is what's been going around in everyone's mind.

  Those officials, even more astonishingly uncertain, were like they had taken their own heads and knelt on both sides of the main road in front of the palace gate. It wasn't that the emperor wanted them to kneel, but rather they themselves ran over to kneel, also wanting to take a closer look at what was happening.

  Indeed, in everyone's impression, this empress was a recluse who rarely left the palace. Compared to Empress Huo, who was skilled at interacting with officials and met with people frequently, the number of times she appeared in public could be counted on one hand. As a result, when people think back now, they can only remember two things about this empress: one is that when she first entered the palace as empress and married the emperor, and the other is that when she died, the emperor was overcome with grief, personally escorted her coffin out of the palace.

  Whether it was the former or the latter, she was either sitting in the bridal sedan chair or lying in a coffin. In any case, no one could truly see the face of the empress. That's why the storyteller in the tea house could imagine without restraint that this was a seductress who had bewitched the emperor in bed.

  Fox-like face, demon-like eyes, snake-like waist, beauty as venomous as a viper.

  Anyone who has heard the storytelling, anyone who has heard rumors about the story of Empress Wang, wouldn't they think so?

  So to speak, this fox queen, died and reborn, is really bewitching.

  The emperor brought the empress back, and the official news spread was that the previous conspiracy of the Sun Mansion, which had been handled by the court, was that someone named Sun had wanted to poison the young prince many years ago, but the empress had mistakenly ingested it. The young prince's life was saved, but the empress fell into a state of apparent death due to this strange poison. It wasn't until recently, when evidence of Sun's crime was seized and he confessed, that it was discovered that the empress was actually still alive.

  Everyone had this question. The queen has been lying in the coffin for so many years, not eating or drinking, won't she starve to death?

  "Isn't it said in ancient legends that a fox can transform into a woman to charm an emperor?" The officials couldn't help but whisper to each other.

  "Is it a demon or perhaps an immortal?"

  In this world, if it's not a demon, then only gods can survive without eating or drinking.

  The returned queen, whether she was a demon or an immortal, immediately split into two factions and quarreled to the point of no return.

  Huā Yù Yán sat in the carriage, not sharing one with the Emperor. Liǔ Gūgu (Maternal Aunt Liu) handed her a handkerchief to wipe off her sweat. Having just lain in the coffin for a while, waiting for those two old demons to come over, she wouldn't be suffocated and sweating on her forehead. Speaking of which, performing this scene was actually planned out later with those two people at the Summer Resort Villa.

  It's better to transform into Yan Shangshu and return, which is just right for the opponent to take advantage of. Because, two old demons, it is said that they are rushing to capture this charming national book Yan Shangshu back to the palace. In this way, after returning to her position, it's not impossible. However, in order to suppress these two old demons, relying solely on the identity of the empress is impossible, and only the Phoenix Seal can be used as a last resort.

  Her phoenix seal, when she died that year, was immediately frozen and sealed in the coffin with her body. As the last person to close the coffin lid, Li Zimo was also the most aware of this. However, years later, when Li Zimo reopened the coffin, the phoenix seal had disappeared. This was because her body had been moved out of the mausoleum, and the phoenix seal naturally followed her. But this phoenix seal was a mysterious object that even emperors and empresses throughout history couldn't understand, with its own strange spiritual energy. When she regained her memories, she discovered that the phoenix seal was no longer by her side. Moreover, it should be impossible to find any trace of it anywhere, and it's unknown where it went. Therefore, the phoenix seal she used to intimidate the two old empresses wasn't given to her by the emperor of Dongling, but rather borrowed from Yundian Jing.

  The Yun clan's ancestral temple, as one of the nine divine clans, also has a dragon seal and phoenix seal. Yunchen Jing is not yet married, so the phoenix seal is naturally in his possession. At this moment, when circumstances require it, lending it to her for use is not impossible. However, when borrowing the phoenix seal to pretend to be a tiger, several people have concerns about this. For example, if the Yun clan's phoenix seal falls into the hands of this Dongling Empress, and she is not the wife of the Yun clan's patriarch, will the Yun clan's phoenix seal listen to her?

  The outcome of the attempt was unexpected. It may be that she herself had a relationship with Feng Yin, so whether it was Dongling's Feng Yin or Yunzu's Feng Yin, she could use them. This logic sounds strange, but in fact, she can make Yunzu's Feng Yin listen to her. Everyone tried to think hard and squeeze out an explanatory sentence, and there is only this way of saying it.

  The Azure Tiger stood behind its master, gazing at the royal procession entering from the city gate. It seemed that this play was nearing its end, and the effect wasn't bad. However, if those dim-witted elders of their own clan were to find out, would they not be so angry that they would almost spit blood?

  Heaving a soft sigh, she glanced at her master out of the corner of her eye, seemingly, Yun Chenjing's mind was not on this at all.

  That sentence of Xie Wang seemed to be intentionally or unintentionally revealing something to them.

  Ling Hu Jing Xu!

  Yun Chenjing's eyes sank slightly.

  This evil king, I don't know what he's thinking. Previously, he was in a hurry to return to the Cloud Clan, also because of this guy, who sent someone to deliver a message to him, saying that the Cloud Clan and the death of the Palace Queen might be related. It can be seen that this guy had already roughly guessed at that time that she hadn't died but was actually the true body of the Palace Queen.

  Later, when I came back and listened again, what Baye said was that at that time, the news of moving the coffin was also from Xiewangbao.

  To say, Yun Chenjing had no dealings with the evil king or his sworn brother Li Zimo. The evil king sold information, but only to those who were greedy and willing to pay for it. These two people didn't go to the evil king to buy information because what they wanted was either something he wouldn't have or wouldn't sell to them easily.

  The evil king's temperament is so strange, he can't bear to see peace in the world.

  If what the Evil King said is true, and Hanae Katsuragi, the useless lady of the Flower House who was supposed to be a Disaster Doll, really didn't die, then Miyuki's life would undoubtedly be in great danger.

  The corpse in the coffin that replaced Gong Xi Yu was so still that no one dared to move or even touch it. A layer of illusion was placed on top, allowing Gong Xi Yu to lie down on the corpse. They waited for the two old demons to arrive before starting their act. Therefore, although the corpse had Gong Xi Yu's appearance, they all knew it wasn't her, but rather possibly the eldest miss of the Hua family.

  The corpses are all here. How can you say that the young lady of the Huahua family is not dead?

  Only one explanation is left.

  "In the void space, Qi Yu's seven souls and six spirits are on the edge of death and the world of the living. If Qi Yu's seven souls and six spirits truly stabilize, this young lady from the Huahua family will immediately cross over to the other side of the sea of death. Therefore, Dongling's Fengyin is a seal that is placed here."

  Qīng Hǔ listened to his own master muttering to himself. Also because of this, Yún Chén Jǐng's complexion was not very good-looking. Because he thought that in order for her seven souls and six spirits to settle down, he had to make her give up thinking about taking the life of Huā Jiā's young mistress, but he didn't know if she would be willing or not.

  She said she was a bad person, and would stop at nothing to achieve her goals. However, how could she bear to take an innocent life in exchange for her own? If she were willing to do so, she would have long since become the same kind of person as the Suns.

  The pale face of Yun Chen's fleeting expression was especially heart-wrenching in Qing Hu's eyes. He knew that his master's feelings for Miss Gong were not a recent development. From their innocent childhood, to their youthful romance, and finally to the painful sacrifice of giving up the beauty to his sworn brother, Crown Prince Dongling. Although at the time, Master Gong had given a reason to avoid offending the Yun clan, behind this reason was another story of his master's hidden endurance.

  Can she understand these feelings to the slightest extent? All I know is that the master of the house is always smiling and joking with her, seemingly carefree, but actually it's all to conceal his own thoughts.

  The green tiger sighed, isn't this what they call "a debt must be repaid"? A debt owed in the previous life must be repaid in this one.

  The royal procession entering the city gate, every step is difficult, blocked by the people. This grand scene, I'm afraid it can't compare to when the emperor first ascended to the throne and went out of the city to worship his ancestors, facing tens of thousands of his subjects for the first time.

  For those who are always paying attention to the movements of Dongling State from abroad, this moment is more interesting than the ceremony of changing the heavenly son in the past dynasties. Only because among all the women in the world, there seems to be no one like Empress Gong who has such a legendary story of dying and coming back to life.

  The red robe of the peony, in the night color like a mighty flame, crouched on a guest house in the capital. The little dove looked up and saw the cloud clan standing on the roof of the palace gate, saying: "Why isn't the master of the cloud sect and Qinghu waiting in the palace?"

  "How can you watch the show with the doors and windows closed in the palace?" The corner of his mouth was still holding a bamboo skewer, left over from eating a roasted chicken. When Ling Hu Jingxu let out a satisfied belch, his narrowed eyes, which were usually full of mischief, lit up as he thought of the snacks in the palace.

  That child, how interesting. He had never seen a child as interesting as this one. It can't be denied that Li Zimo's two sons, the young prince, were already famous throughout the land at such a young age and were already so formidable. As they grew up, it was clear that they would surpass their father, Li Zimo, in no time. But that child who grew up with his mother who lost her memory in the countryside had a strange temperament that seemed to be unclear to everyone.

  And also, the spiritual pet beside that child, if he didn't see it wrongly - was truly astonishing. I wonder if Lízi Mò himself has discovered it?

  I think that Qilin lion dog is also circling around that child all day, and it must have smelled something.

  The little pigeon was quite afraid of Yun Chen Jing, naturally because he was the famous master of the Cloud Clan. He quickly withdrew his gaze and looked around in all directions again. As a result, he really found several big shots again.

  "The crown prince of Dayuan." The little dove muttered, "Wasn't he bitten by the White Tiger of Siling on the Nameless Island?"

  "It was the Third Prince who bit him. Anyone bitten by the White Tiger of Dongling will not recover within ten days or eight months? At this time, it should be those idle princes like Four, Five, Six and Seven." The Intelligence King's tone completely disregarded these small princes of Da Yan as if they were air.

  Who made the king of Dayuan, sitting in the harem with three thousand concubines, a handful of princes, and over a hundred sons. So, it can be imagined that the internal war for the throne within Dayuan was terrifying. It's normal to die every now and then, either a prince or a princess of Dayuan. Among so many princes and princesses, only the first to third princes have some formidable abilities.

  "What's going on with Dayuan and Dongling? Is it because they were defeated by Lizi Mo once, so they want revenge? But didn't they surrender before? Moreover, the trade between the two countries is said to be booming."

  "Revenge? It depends on whether Da Wan has the ability to do so. So many years ago, he was defeated by Li Zimo and left with nothing but scattered flowers and flowing water. Were Li Zimo's Twelve Elite Guards just for show?"

  The little dove could hear from this tone that her own master had a hint of fear towards the Emperor of Dongling.

  Xie Wang spat out the bamboo skewer with one mouthful: "Li Zimo is a ruthless and unscrupulous person, he only cares about getting what he wants, no matter what. I think that when he was young, he must have been abused by someone. Otherwise, such a vicious temperament, there's none in the world that can compare to it."

  When it comes to being tyrannical, no one can surpass the likes of Li Zimo. Thinking about this, Xiaoyuzi felt a chill run down her spine as if her whole body had been drenched in cold water.

  A detached and apathetic face of an immortal, seemingly without desires or aspirations, but in reality, it is a black hole, a profound and immeasurable one that no one can reach.

  It's precisely because of this that the man who is feared by everyone under the sky has openly declared his love for a woman, and it can't help but pique people's curiosity.

  However, this Bagua Wang, in the past, had no interest in understanding Empress Gong. Possibly because she was on the throne for too short a time and her light had not yet shone forth.

  "It wasn't until she became the young mistress of the Huahua family that I realized I had misjudged her back then!" The Intelligence King regretted to the point of feeling that missing such crucial information back then was the shame of his life.

  The little pigeon only knew one thing, that was his master's wife, and as for the imperial concubine, he had an interest in her from the moment they met.

  She won't pretend.

  Being a person, being a good person or a bad person is fine, but he's the evil king. His personality is considered strange by others because he doesn't like to pretend. Similarly, this Empress of the Qingyu Palace also isn't someone who will put on an act.

  So, especially good for his stomach.

  The little dove only hopes that his master is not going to compete with the Eastern Emperor for a woman, after all, it seems that this Eastern Emperor will never let go of Gong Yue.

  The evil king's beautiful face was like a mask in the darkness of night, nothing could be seen clearly.

  The little dove let out a sneeze, pinched its nose, turned its head back and looked over, seeing the mountain opposite the capital city, as if something was also looking this way.

  "Many people are waiting for this play." The Evil King said in a low voice.

  How many people are watching? He believes that as long as they're not fools, all thirty-six states will send someone to watch.

  The carriage finally arrived at the palace gate, where the queen would get off and switch to a sedan chair. At the same time, she would face the officials who were lined up on both sides of the road to welcome her along with the emperor.

  Liu Auntie felt a chill run down her spine as she helped Hua Xiuyan down from the carriage, sensing an icy coldness transmitted through their fingertips, like falling into an ice cave for thousands of years. Liu Auntie shivered and saw that Hua Xiuyan's face was like wearing a mask.

  When the curtain was lifted, people already felt the dazzling light. They just waited for the so-called elegant and noble woman to get off the carriage. At that moment, everyone held their breath and looked at her, guessing whether she was a fairy or a demon.

  The goddess's words should be like the two greatest beauties in the world, Su Qinger and Princess Qiong Yao. They are delicate as flowers, with a plump figure, and every step they take is as if they are walking on clouds, making people's hearts skip a beat.

  The demon's words should be like the legendary number one beauty in the world, demonic to the point where everyone who sees her feels as if they have fallen into hell, beautiful to the point of sucking out people's souls.

  Phoenix boots, trampling on the ground, emit a clear "crackling" sound. Unlike gods or demons' silence, it's more like a normal person. As a result, the millions of people who were looking up with bated breath all stared blankly.

  Yun Chen Jing suddenly stood up from the top of the palace gate, a pair of noble blue eyes gazed down at her, and when the light flew out of his eyes, it was as if he had returned to more than ten years ago, when he first saw her in the palace.

  Like Hei Zimei, she was not such a strange girl. A pair of very arched and pretty eyebrows, under which those eyes were like small apricot kernels, bright and cunning as a rabbit, her words and deeds seemed to have been endowed with innate nobility and elegance, so even if she occasionally didn't behave like that miss, doing things like climbing walls and sneaking out at night, which was not something a proper young lady should do, however, as long as she appeared in such a dignified manner, almost everyone forgot about it, only remembering her innate dignity.

  Yes, it's innate.

  In the carriage, she had changed into a set of traveling clothes. At this moment, walking among the pilgrims and officials, she wore a nine-phoenix coronet on her head, with dozens of small rice pearls, neatly arranged and rhythmically swaying. The imperial purple-red phoenix skirt was the most noble attire in the national dress, and in the dark night, the robe had rows of golden hundred-birds embroidery, as if they were about to fly.

  Goose egg face, two slender eyebrows like distant mountains, a pair of almond eyes, as if flowing light. Not the gods or demons that people imagine, but seems to be even more unimaginable.

  Suddenly, a burst of flapping sounds came from the sky, rushing towards the capital city and the palace gates.

  People looked up and saw those flocks of birds, like thousands of troops and horses, and all kinds of birds passed over the sky above Dongling City and the Imperial Palace.

  For a moment, it seemed as if no one understood what was going on, yet somehow everyone knew exactly what was happening. In the silent aftermath, the capital of Dongling Kingdom erupted in thunderous cheers.

  The voices of the people surged in like a tidal wave, rumbling and thundering as they poured into the imperial palace.

  The two old empress dowagers, because someone had raised the supreme phoenix seal, came back and could no longer stay in the Moon Palace. Also, since their previous residence in the palace was not cleaned up properly, they could only move to the vacant Yongshou Palace after Empress Hu died.

  Compared to the hustle and bustle of the palace gate, the quiet Yongsugung Palace was like a coffin, dark and gloomy, with only a few lanterns hanging, swaying in the wind, eerie and mysterious.

  Madam Chen seemed to have been blown by the Taoist wind, suddenly feeling a chill. Seeing the palace maid serving beside her walk in and whispering in her ear, Madam Chen's eyes clearly showed disbelief: "Have your eyes gone blind?"

  However, the voices of the common people coming from outside the palace gate were like the waves of a turbulent sea, surging into the Yongshou Palace.

  The drums beat loudly, and the people all shouted: Long live the Empress!

  Even the Dragon King has emerged, and it is as majestic as the Son of Heaven!

  Chen slapped the table: "What kind of behavior is this!"

  Right after the palace maid reported the news, a dense flock of birds flew over the roof of the Yongshou Palace in an orderly manner, like a military parade. The two little sparrows resting on the roof were startled. Seeing as if there was some kind of summons, the two little sparrows spread their wings together and soon joined the bird formation above.

  It was as if a miracle had appeared in the sky, making Chen's eyes wide with wonder and his voice hoarse.

  Since ancient times, it has been said that the empress is the leader of all birds, the incarnation of the phoenix. However, who doesn't know that the empress is actually just a person? Where is it possible for all birds to pay homage to the phoenix like this? Legends are just legends, when they really appear, the people shout "Long live" and it becomes a matter of course.

  "Could it be... could these birds have been transformed by Your Majesty?" Madam Chen squeezed out the words from between her teeth.

  Her face was calm and quiet, and her voice seemed to be devoid of emotion: "Lei Zimo doesn't have this skill. Looking at the whole world, if someone could do something that would make all birds bow to the phoenix, someone would have done it already."

  This statement is correct. As long as it can be done, which emperor and empress would not want to do it? Once it's done, it will be like now, and the common people are easily fooled, winning over many hearts is no longer a problem.

  Chen said: "Empress Dowager, you say, is this all because of Feng Yin?"

  There are many legends about the Phoenix Seal, but none of them mention the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix. It's not that easy to talk about either. However, whenever the two elderly empress dowagers thought about the Phoenix Seal in Cixi's hands, their faces would turn dark and they would be heartbroken to the point of death. When they were empresses, they enjoyed all the glory and wealth just like Empress Dowager Hu, but the only thing they never got to see was what the Phoenix Seal looked like. They tried every means and used up all their charm, but the emperor simply wouldn't let them take a look.

  What kind of charm does this imperial concubine have? She can capture the emperor's heart and make him think only of her.

  Because of the loud noise outside, the palace maid closed the doors and windows tightly.

  "I look at the phoenix seal in her hand, it doesn't seem quite right." Nian Ci said, as if she had thought for a long time.

  "Has Empress Dowager seen the Phoenix Seal?" Chen asked.

  "No, I've never seen it. However, she's still unstable with seven souls and six spirits, and if the Phoenix Seal really exists, she should have taken it out by now. Especially on Nameless Island."

  On Nameless Island, as long as Gong Xi takes out Feng Yin, it's possible that they won't need Tianzi's help to escape.

  "But she's holding a genuine Feng Yin seal in her hand," said Chen Shi.

  "Is it true Feng Yin, but is it Dongling State's Feng Yin?"

  Chen's eyes widened in surprise: "Isn't that the Phoenix Seal of Dongling Kingdom? She isn't an empress from any other country, how can she use it?"

  Nian Ci put down the teacup in her hand heavily on the table and said: "I'm going to a place, you guard this body."

  Chen saw her suddenly fall down and hurriedly stretched out his hand with the palace maid to support her, and shouted into the dark space: "Where are you going, Shi Gongzi?"

  For a long time, no one responded.

  The palace gate, Huaxi Yan felt that the more she walked, the harder it became. These high-heeled shoes were like wearing stilts. For her, who had long forgotten how to walk in such shoes, maintaining her pace for a hundred meters was like running a marathon. Before long, her back was drenched with sweat.

  In front of her, a hand was waiting for her. It made her feel as if she had traversed time and space, like walking into a modern wedding scene.

  Her eyes gazed at her as she walked towards herself, seeing a hint of distraction and trance on her face, with slightly furrowed eyebrows. What was she looking at?

  No matter what, she looks beautiful in this outfit, reminding him of their wedding eight or nine years ago. The voices of the people and officials on both sides...

  To him, it was like fleeting clouds. Because no matter how much the people below opposed, he only had one wife, her.

  He needs her too much.

  Her hand stretched out and in the moment it grasped his, he felt a chill.

  Is it because I'm too nervous?

  It's rare for her to be afraid.

  A stifled laugh escaped from his throat. She was close by and heard it clearly, looked into his eyes with a hint of helplessness: "Hold on tight, if you fall, it'll be a joke."

  She was so troubled that she forgot to address him as her master.

  But those eyes, looking at him, were still so rational.

  He and she, what exactly are they. Allies, partners, as the Son of Heaven and the Empress, this relationship is the best. He does not object. So, even if he likes her very much in his heart, he must remember the lesson that the previous emperor said, to love someone, you must hide her deep in your heart, the deepest part.

  Let outsiders not guess their relationship, but let her herself guess. This is to make her better protect herself when he can't be by her side to protect her.

  All she saw was a hint of a smile in his dark eyes, but in an instant, it turned into something as unfathomable as the night. Huajiu lowered her eyebrows, only remembering to hold his hand tightly, lest they make a scene in public.

  A talented couple got into a sedan chair and entered the imperial palace.

  The people watching the play seem to be reluctant to leave. Let's not talk about the common people, but rather the officials from both sides of the road who are all kneeling down with a look of dismay on their faces. The Empress Dowager has returned, but what about the members of the palace?

  Isn't Miyako Fumi still being held by the Emperor?

  Yes, at that time it was said that Miyabi Hirobumi was punished for not saving the Empress Dowager, and now the Empress Dowager has come back to life, but it seems there is no connection. However, after all, he is the father of the Empress, so the Empress will probably plead for her father's sake.

  Madam Wang, your daughter who has been away for many years is back. In the past, wasn't it all about hearing that she was crying her heart out every day? Why not come here to see your daughter?

  The strangest thing is the national uncle.

  All civil and military officials searched everywhere but couldn't find any trace of Gong Xiangyu.

  It seems that everyone in the Gong family is aware of it. Even a fool, as long as he thinks through the logic, will know that there is something fishy going on.

  While everyone was discussing it, they seemed to have forgotten that previously, a Grand Secretary had taken over the Empress's garden. After all, the Empress's resurrection was too shocking.

  The Qi family was shocked. Old Master Qi sent someone to investigate the truth of the news. Later, in their own courtyard, they saw a hundred birds flying over the sky above the capital, and with their family members, they all opened their mouths wide.

  Li Jiya already knew what was going on and sat in the house eating peanuts and drinking tea. Sanqi told her not to eat too much, be careful of diarrhea.

  Madam Qi felt a bit dizzy and leaned on Golden to support herself: Now that the Empress Dowager has returned, is this good or bad for her daughter? What about that Royal Secretary who had been currying favor with them before? Is he dead or alive? In any case, now that the Empress Dowager has returned, no matter what happens to the Royal Secretary, he can't compare to the Empress Dowager - that's for certain. But will the Empress Dowager allow her brother and her daughter to interact with each other?

  Mr. Qi sighed and walked back into the house with his hands behind his back.

  Qī Yún's eyes drooped as she lowered her head and walked back into the house to accompany the young mistress.

  Mrs. Qi let Jin Ayi support her back to the house. Jin Ayi supported her into the room and poured her a cup of hot tea. Mrs. Qi held the teacup in her hand, with her fingers and palms trembling. Jin Ayi wiped the sweat from her forehead.

  "How can it be? Can a dead person come back to life?" Madam Qi's teeth were chattering with fear.

  The old nun shook her head: "Lao Nu is also unclear about this matter. However, the people sent by Lao Ye to inquire about the news didn't they say that the Empress was not poisoned?"

  "What's the poison? That's the emperor's deceit! If it could be poisoned, it would have been poisoned long ago." Madam Qi's mouth was trembling as she spat out these words, and was stopped by a glance from Jin Yuye.

  Madam Qi felt a chill all over her body and instructed Golden Lotus: "Close the doors and windows. I want to take a nap."

  The old woman immediately went to close the windows and doors. However, when she turned back after closing the door, she saw that there was suddenly an extra person in the house.

  Madam Qi and Jin's nurse immediately knelt down in fear, shouting: "Lord Shi."

  The man in the darkness revealed only a pair of white hands emerging from his sleeves, with a jade ring on his middle finger.

  "I want that thing." The man's voice was low and sonorous, like a cello.

  Madam Qi's face turned flustered as she said, "Didn't we give that thing to the master before?"

  "I want one too."

  Mrs. Qi's brow was beaded with cold sweat: "So, she really didn't come back from the dead?"

  "What's worrying you?"

  "The common woman had only heard that if the curse failed, it would be like this." Madame Qi choked on her words, saying something she was somewhat skeptical of, "Earlier, when Lord Sun's mansion was seized, wasn't it also because of this?"

  "Shí Dà Rén swept her with a glance: "Do you want to know?""

  If you want to know, knowing more will lead to what result.

  Madam Qi just thought of this and didn't dare ask again, shaking her head repeatedly: "No, I don't want to know. Those are adults' business."

  "It's fine if you know. You didn't participate in the curse, what do you have to worry about?"

  Madam Qi seemed to breathe a sigh of relief at his words. But thinking that he was going to ask for something again, her face became anxious and uneasy: "Sir, since the Empress has returned..."

  "What's going on? You think she's back and you can escape responsibility now? But you're an accomplice, having helped this official."

  Because of these two words "co-offender", Mrs. Qi's body swayed to the point of collapse.

  The old woman was like a tearless cry, knocking her head: "Great great mercy, spare the old slave and his wife."

  "Why should I let you off? Your daughter has someone interested in her now. What about before? When there was nothing, didn't you come to me begging?"

  Despair and helplessness flashed across the faces of Madame Qi and Jin. Madame Qi gritted her teeth: "Alright, I'll go find it. Once I've found it, I'll give it to Lord Shi. However, please also ask Lord Shi not to come and bother us again after this."

  "In response, the man smiled coldly: 'Then let's make a deal for three days. Three days later, I'll come to take the things. If I can't get them, you know what the consequences will be.'"

  Madam Qi and Golden Mother felt a chill run down their spines at the same time, and in an instant, the figure of Stone Master had vanished from the room.

  Jin Aiyi helped up Qi's wife, who was also trembling with fear, and said: "What is it that this Stone gentleman wants to curse the Empress Dowager to death for?"

  "How did I know? The queen must have offended him in some way!" Mrs. Qi supported her weak knees and sat on the bed, panting for a while before saying, "The queen is also to blame, she's asking for it. Who told her not to be a good person, always offending people."

  "It's also. In the past, our young lady and the imperial family had a very good relationship, treating her as a close friend. But after becoming the empress, she immediately turned against us and didn't recognize us anymore. It has harmed our young lady to this day, making it impossible for her to get married." Golden Mother wiped away two tears in front of her master.

  It's really unclear what's going on. Back then, Gong Xuan married into the imperial palace with great fanfare. But Qi Yunyan, due to her family's poor circumstances, was left unpursued for a long time. It wasn't that there were no matchmakers coming to ask about her hand in marriage, but whenever they thought about the fact that the Gong family had become relatives of the emperor and that their own daughter used to be best friends with the empress, only families even more inferior than theirs came to propose.

  For this, Mrs. Qi wasn't without a plan, she bribed the palace staff to send a message to Gong Yi Xuan, hoping that Gong Yi Xuan could help her daughter speak well of her in front of the Emperor and grant Qi Yunyan a good husband. She didn't need to be an empress like Gong Yi Xuan, being a noble lady with a few ranks would be enough, just like the Ninth Lady, it was already sufficient for her to show off her wealth and power.

  Later, the palace staff member she entrusted turned back and told her that Empress Dowager Hu had apparently mentioned this matter to the Emperor. However, when the Emperor asked the Empress if she was close friends with Miss Qi, the Empress flatly denied it. If the Empress herself denied it, who would still believe that Qi Yunyan and the Empress had an affair?

  Ungrateful and disloyal, turning against those who helped you!

  Mrs. Zhi remembered that she was so angry at the time that she fell ill. However, thinking of her poor daughter, she had to think of a way out again. Later on, this palace maid said that Empress Hu, who was kind-hearted, actually listened to her words and thought they were not entirely unbelievable. But Empress Hu was in a difficult position as both mother and mother-in-law. She didn't want to offend the emperor because of her daughter-in-law's lies. Besides, why should she, Empress Hu, stand up for the daughter of a fifth-rank official?

  To prove that she was not lying, she found a stone gentleman who could do anything with magic. The stone gentleman asked her to hand over something. He said that through this thing, it can be proved whether she lied or not. She sent the thing over and later found out that the other party took the thing to cast a spell to harm the queen. Unfortunately, at that time, the news of the queen's death had already spread in the palace.

  Became an accomplice inexplicably. Mrs. Qi also felt that she was very wronged. But thinking about it, she thought that Gong Xuanruo was asking for trouble. If Gong Xuanruo had been better to her daughter in the first place, would she have easily boarded the pirate ship and helped the thief?