Heavenly Concubine's Rebellious Princess: The Abdominal Black Two Treasures Meet Father 71

  In the dark room, pitch blackness was all around, with only a white pearl in the middle of the room, occasionally emitting a faint glow, allowing people nearby to see the shadowy images that emerged from it.

  "It's her, she's back." The speaker was almost entirely shrouded in darkness, the only visible part being a pair of hands - pale and colorless, yet with distinct joints and slender fingers. From the sound alone, it was impossible to discern whether the person was male or female, only that their voice sounded like sand grinding against stone, making one's ears ache.

  Sun Jing Cang was respectful to the person speaking, addressing him as "Shi Daren" with a reverent attitude. However, he did not completely obey what the man said, and instead questioned him suspiciously: "You say she's back? What evidence do you have? Is this little girl really the child of the Saint?"

  "I can only see this much, after all, divination is a matter that requires the other party's object, and it's already quite good to be able to see this far. This is still thanks to the objects I set up in the palace. The original intention of these things was to monitor the emperor. But the Emperor's Yongning Palace is really heavily guarded, and Li Zimo is more cautious than any generation of Eastern Ling Emperor. Moreover, for this thing to take effect, there are conditions that must be met, otherwise, it would have been discovered by Li Zimo long ago." "Shi Daren" spoke very cautiously, revealing his vigilance towards Li Zimo everywhere.

  "But, sir, I can only see that this child looks exactly like the young prince. I couldn't find any other clues. Are you saying she is indeed the Empress? I just want to confirm this one point." Sun Jing Cang asked, grasping for confirmation whether the Empress was dead or alive.

  Perhaps sensing the fear in Sun Jing's tone, Shi Da Ren's low voice seemed to laugh dryly: "You know it yourself. It's very likely that she has returned. But even if she has returned, there is nothing to be afraid of."

  Sun Jingcang strongly disagreed with him, and trembled: "Shi Daren, think about it, Hu Taihou is dead. This shows that the heavenly curse backfired, and even Tai Hou can be killed by it... But did Tai Hou really participate in the heavenly curse?"

  "The Empress Dowager heard about this matter from the official, and with her ambition, she had long been dissatisfied with being suppressed by the previous emperor and her own son. Also, because the Palace Queen had won the heart of the Holy One, the Empress Dowager was afraid that her position in the palace and the court would not be preserved. Therefore, she wanted to take advantage of this matter to turn things around, eliminate her opponents, and share the risk with so many people, why not? The official had warned the Empress Dowager about this before, but she insisted on doing it, and the official could only follow the natural course. As for whether the Empress Dowager was killed by the heavenly curse or not, it depends on whether there is a curse mark on her body, unfortunately, this curse mark disappears almost as soon as the person dies."

  That is to say, whether Empress Hu was killed by the heavenly curse or not is still unconfirmed. Sun Jing's heart felt a little more at ease.

  Shi Da-ren's eyes in the dark seemed to catch the expression on his face and said: "What Ben Guan said, it seems that Sun Da-ren never believed."

  "Shi Daren, it's not that I don't believe you. But this is unfounded, how can we say she has returned? Moreover, if she really did come back, the person affected by the heavenly curse shouldn't just be Empress Hu, should it?"

  "This official says that blind divination is subject to too many restrictions, unless one can obtain an object from the other party. However, now she's back, we don't know where she was or what objects she used. Nevertheless, based solely on this official's observation of the palace's energy, the palace indeed has the same bloodline as the crown prince. If this child is not another child born to the empress and the emperor, this official cannot guess any other possibility. Since the child has been born, how could she possibly not be alive?"

  "I'm confused now. The adults said she was alive, but when we first entered the tomb to check the coffin, she was indeed dead, and Feng Yin was with her, which is undeniable. Even if she came back to life, wouldn't it be even more suspicious that this child is hers? She's dead, how could the child in her belly still be alive? Besides, I've never heard of anyone coming back to life in this world."

  Regarding Sun Jing Cang's statement, Shi Da Ren, who was hiding in the darkness, seemed to have hesitated and thought for a moment before continuing: "Dying and coming back to life is impossible. It goes against heaven's will. However, fate can be transferred. As long as there are two people born on the same year, month, day, and hour, with identical birth eight characters... For example, Sun General's grandfather was able to block an arrow for the previous emperor's father on the battlefield because someone told him that if he used a person with the same birth eight characters as his substitute when Yan Wang came to collect his soul, he would be able to survive."

  Sun Qing was shocked: "I really haven't heard of this before, is it true? What kind of skill is this?"

  "The Great Art of Transferring Seven Souls and Six Spirits. Pinch the right timing, two people's souls undergo instant transfer, making another person take their place to ward off disasters, then return again. The time used for this method varies in length, depending on the practitioner's ability. However, like your grandfather, at that time could only make a substitute into a disaster doll to ward off disasters, instantly destroyed, so your grandfather managed to save his life but also suffered severe injuries and almost died. But if Empress Yohou really didn't die as guessed, with her being 'dead' for such a long time and still managing to keep the dragon fetus safe, it's absolutely something an ordinary practitioner can't achieve."

  Sun Jing listened quietly and fearfully as he continued. There are many great people in this world, but such great people are still daunting. The Soul Transfer Technique, controlling life and death. What's the difference between this kind of person and the Old Heaven?

  "As far as this official knows, in the whole world, there should only be three people who can accomplish such a thing."

  "Which three?"

  "One is the well-known Master Minghai. He is a high-ranking monk who has been called a genius since childhood and is treated as an honored guest by all countries. However, Master Minghai has always disliked getting involved in the affairs of various royal courts, his mind is pure and he likes to be isolated from the world, never accepting invitations from any country. Moreover, after he turned seventy, it is said that he made great progress on the path of immortality, abandoned his disciples and wandered around the four seas, almost disappearing from the human world. Some people say that he crossed the East Sea and arrived at the Penglai Fairy Island, which is known as the fairy realm, and since then has not asked about worldly affairs again. The official guesses that even if she were only the Empress of Dongling, Master Minghai would still refuse."

  "What about the other two?"

  "Secondly, I think that the Xizhen tribe's backing of the Xizhen imperial family is itself shrouded in mystery. It is said that the chief witch doctor who currently supports the Xizhen empress once used a similar method to help her ascend to the throne. However, you and I both know that Xizhen has long been eyeing Dongling covetously, and the Xizhen princess has been vying for the position of Dongling's empress for some time - how could they possibly lend a hand to Palace Empress?"

  "Suxi Niangniang is devoted to the Emperor, it's impossible." Sun Qing sighed, "If not for your words, I would have never thought that behind the Xizhen tribe was such a formidable person."

  In response to this, Shi Gong chuckled and refrained from commenting. With so many people in the world revering Jin Suqing, could Sun Qingtian not know? He continued, "As for the last person, he was originally the most likely to lend a helping hand to the Palace Mistress. However, according to my observations, he is actually the least possible."

  "Who?"

  "The Yun clan has many secret methods, all of which are orthodox and authentic, completely different from the Xizhen witchcraft tribe. However, it is said that their comprehensive manual of secret methods is something that even the great master Minghai can't help but admire. Therefore, Xizhen has always wanted to win over Dongling, but Dongling only likes to form an alliance with the Yun clan. This is precisely because the Yun and Xizhen tribes have always been evenly matched, neither superior nor inferior. If the Xizhen witchcraft tribe can accomplish this feat, how could the Yun clan not do so?"

  "So, the Cloud Clan's Cloud Sect Master was involved in this matter?" Sun Qingcang was shocked again, and then became puzzled. "No, that can't be right. I remember that when the Empress passed away, the Cloud Sect Master's grief and shock were no less than the Emperor's. If he was the one who did it, how could that be possible?"

  "So, in my opinion, it is precisely the fact that Yun Zongzi himself is completely unaware of this matter, and the secret method of the Yun clan is only held by one person, the patriarch. The Yun clan has become the most unlikely to be involved in this matter. Moreover, even if the Yun clan had the Soul Transference Technique, it would likely be classified as an evil technique and not allowed to be used."

  Listening to the other party's analysis, it all makes sense. In the end, the three people who could have done it become the most unlikely ones. Doesn't this once again prove that the case of Gong Yu's resurrection is impossible? Sun Qing wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked, "According to your theory, what should we do next? Should we send someone to investigate the movements of these three parties or...?"

  "Ming Hai masters have all disappeared, gone to Penglai Fairy Island. How can we send someone to investigate? The Xi Zhen Wu tribe and the Yun tribe are afraid that even your people cannot infiltrate inside. After all, it is a place where even the Holy One's whip cannot reach."

  Sun Jing clenched his fists, feeling anxious and uneasy: Is it or isn't it? If it is, what should he do? If not, then why did the Empress Dowager die of illness, and what about the strange pulse of the other young prince in the palace?

  "This official thinks that she successfully avoided the heavenly curse and returned after undergoing the soul-transferring technique. However, since Lord Sun still has doubts, it would be better to send someone to secretly investigate the emperor's intentions or the movements within the palace."

  Sun Qing heard his words and had a thoughtful look, saying: "I just want to ask the adult one more thing, if it's really her who came back and caused the heavenly curse to backlash, why was only Empress Hu affected by the backlash, while we were unscathed?"

  "This official guesses that it may only be related to the seven souls and six spirits within her own body. Therefore, this official said to General Sun that there is no need to be overly afraid of this matter. Who will win or lose is still uncertain." After glancing at Sun Jing with a meaningful look, Shi Gong continued, "Actually, Lord Sun does not need to be anxious at all."

  Sun Jing's face twisted into a bitter smile: "Are you asking me to sit back and wait for death at the Sun Manor? If this matter is known to the Emperor, with his way of thinking, how can he not suspect that the Sun Manor is not just plotting against the Empress, but has had treasonous intentions all along. It's just that no one expected the Empress to be so resilient and drag things out until the Emperor could return from the front lines and take charge of the court. Now, it's possible that the Empress doesn't even know who helped her, yet she's managed to come back to life. The Sun Manor is now surrounded on all sides, and the only way to escape this desperate situation is to lift the heavenly curse."

  "General Sun knows the pros and cons. At present, with the power of the Sun Mansion, it is not enough to confront the Emperor head-on. I also do not want to see General Sun being harmed like Empress Hu."

  The two stopped talking here, Sun Qing hastily bowed and walked out of the dark room.

  As soon as the door closed, in the dimly lit and enclosed room, after Sun Jingkong left, there seemed to be no sign of human life.

  Crown Prince Palace

  Two children finished their breakfast and went to school as usual. Li Ji-yao and Hua Xi-yan sat on a chair, slowly sipping tea.

  Hua Yu Yan glanced at the county lord's daughter, Li Ji Yao, who seemed a bit different from usual today, much quieter. Looking out of the window, Hua Yu Yan said: "Looking at this situation, it's likely to rain again tomorrow."

  Li Ji Yao was moved by his words and asked softly: "Yan Shangshu, can you tell the county master who you really are?"

  It can be seen that the county master is not a complete fool. Hua Xiyuan's lips were slightly pursed, and she said: "This official is Yan Shangshu, where did the county master get this question from?"

  Li Ji Yao was about to scratch her head, but suddenly changed the subject and smiled, asking: "The county master sees Yan Shangshu coming and going freely in the palace, and Yan Shangshu's son is also with the crown prince. It can be seen that Yan Shangshu is favored by the emperor. Is it true that the emperor intends to let Yan Shangshu enter the harem?"

  Huā Yù Rǎn glanced at her and said, "Who doesn't know that the Emperor's heart is only thinking of the deceased Empress, I'm just helping the Emperor take care of the children, how can I enter his heart?"

  When she said this, Li Jiuyao fell silent again, and after a moment, he whispered: "What you said is not wrong.My imperial brother only thinks of my imperial sister in his heart."

  "The princess suddenly came to the palace today to find me, what is the matter?"

  "In the princess's mansion, several people that the princess didn't like had arrived. The princess knew that both she and her husband were forced to keep them around because they didn't want to offend anyone. But the princess couldn't stand looking at them, so she slipped out to chat with Minister Yan."

  The princess's mansion suddenly accommodated many noble guests? Her slender eyebrows furrowed, asking: "What kind of people could have provoked the young lady to anger? I really can't think of any. The young lady is the most lovable person in this world, how could she possibly dislike her guests?"

  "Ah." Li Ji Yao was indeed questioned by her, and she confessed everything. "Yan Shangshu thought too highly of the county master. The county master has always been mischievous and willful in the eyes of the princess and the prince consort, not knowing how to flatter or yield. As for people she dislikes, it's really impossible for her to pretend to like them like the princess and the prince consort do."

  Huā Yùyán's face was again marked with a questioning expression.

  Li Ji-yao said: "For example, last time in the Empress Dowager's courtyard, Yan Shangshu met Sun Jia'er's second daughter, but our princess disliked her very much. Now she ran to the Princess's mansion saying that she wanted to get close to Su Qinger and the Princess, and stayed at the Princess's mansion for a few days. My mother didn't like her chatter, but because of Su Qinger in the Princess's mansion, she couldn't explicitly refuse her."

  Jin Suqing moved into the Princess's Mansion?

  "Suxi Niangniang's illness has reportedly worsened. She contracted a cold in Baichangguo and hasn't recovered since. These past two days, upon hearing the news of Empress Hu's illness, she became extremely worried, causing her condition to worsen again. But in Ben Junzhu's opinion, if she's not feeling well, why doesn't she stay in her own country to rest and recover properly instead of running around every day?"

  Hua Yu Yan was amused by her last sentence. This county master seemed to be muddled, but sometimes when she spoke, she could astonish people with one word.

  Li Ji Yao rubbed her nose: "My parents didn't want to keep her in the princess's mansion, because they knew my brother didn't like her. But unfortunately, the empress dowager liked her. My parents didn't want to offend anyone, and seeing that she was really ill, they let her stay elsewhere. If she were to fall seriously ill and be discovered by the Western Zhen tribe, they would say that Dongling was inhospitable and couldn't account for it. Although my brother couldn't wait for her to return home, my parents wanted to do a good deed and help my brother clean up the mess, so they brought her into the princess's mansion and invited famous doctors to diagnose her."

  Huā Yùyán's impression of the Crown Princess and her husband remained at the scene of that day's Lantern Festival. To say, previously, she had little contact with the Crown Princess and her husband. This was because this couple, although they were said to have a wide range of friends and good relationships, rarely entered the palace. Perhaps the Crown Princess and her husband thought about their special status and did not want to enter the palace too often, so as not to cause unnecessary worries for the Emperor. The only reason they had a good relationship with Xiǎo Yuè County Mistress was that she was young at the time, and because of her own loneliness, she loved to stick with her and the Emperor's fate.

  Li Ji-yao sighed again when mentioning the matter of inviting famous doctors: "This doctor, in one day, invited more than a dozen for her. It's true that Consort Su's body is delicate. The doctors who were invited went to see her, but they couldn't even recite the name of the disease correctly. I don't know if these doctors are looking at the patient or the beauty."

  Jin Suqing was as beautiful as a fairy, and any ordinary man who saw her would be infatuated. Those worldly and mediocre doctors couldn't resist her beauty and were single-mindedly focused on treating the beauty's illness. Perhaps when they took Jin Suqing's pulse, they were secretly dying of desire.

  "My mother wants to invite a royal physician from the Tai Hospital. However, it's said that all these royal physicians have been detained in the palace by His Majesty to treat Empress Hu's illness and are not allowed to return home." Li Ji-yao paused after saying this, "Yan Shangshu, is the empress's illness... incurable?"

  After entering the palace, it's unlikely that Li Jiuyao didn't notice anything about the movement in the Yongshou Palace.

  Huā Yùyán slightly raised an eyebrow and asked, "The princess is extremely concerned about the empress dowager. It seems that in the past, the empress dowager was like a grandmother to the princess, which makes the princess very worried."

  "This county lord is the Empress Dowager's worry. However, it's not because the Empress Dowager favors this county lord, but rather she's worried about her imperial brother. Since my imperial sister-in-law passed away, the only relative left in the palace for the imperial brother is the Empress Dowager."

  Hua Yeyan's eyelids flickered slightly as she thought back to last night, realizing that she hadn't been able to see the faint sadness on his face. Although, it had been many years ago when she first entered the palace and could vaguely sense that he and Empress Hu were superficially close but actually distant. At that time, Empress Hu had tried every means to win her over, wasn't it just so that she could get closer to him?

  The saint's heart is hard to fathom, being with him is like being with a tiger. Her brother's warning from last night echoed in her ears once again.

  Unexpectedly, Li Jiuyao also thought the same way, and suddenly turned around after finishing the previous words: "However, in the eyes of the princess, even if the empress dowager is unfortunately dead, it will not change. At that time, when the former emperor passed away, the princess knew that the prince liked the former emperor more than the empress dowager. The prince stood in front of the former emperor's coffin, without saying a word, with a solemn expression, and no grief was seen. At that time, it was good to scare all the ministers."

  "Really?"

  "My father told my mother that the newly enthroned Emperor seems to lack the seven emotions and six desires. Many of the ministers he appointed are also without the seven emotions and six desires." Li Jiuyao said this, seemingly intentionally glancing at her, "For example, Palace Master Gong, who blushes bright red in front of His Majesty."

  Her brother. How can I put it? If people knew, when her brother saw her for the first time, he wasn't moved to tears, but instead made her kneel and wanted to discipline her at home, probably no one would believe that person was her brother, who had been more loving to her than anyone since childhood.

  Her brother said he would send her to the temple, regretting letting her enter the palace. In fact, it was all for her, wishing her a long life of one hundred years. However, she knew that her brother was just talking, and in the end, none of this would happen. This could be seen from the time when her brother had arranged for her to marry him.

  In her opinion, her brother's mind was like a seven-holed pearl, cautious to the point where no one could see through it, and even more so than him.

  "Gong Da Ren is indeed great. The Emperor favors him and he's handsome, countless women adore him." Li Ji Yao let out a soft sigh.

  "What, does the young lady like Duke Gong?" Thinking that the young lady was a little girl seven years ago, but now she is already a tall and beautiful woman waiting to be married. In the past, she may not have had thoughts about her brother-in-law, but it's hard to say now.

  Li Ji Yao waved her hand repeatedly upon hearing this: "How is that possible? Palace Lord's heart is high and proud, which is beyond the reach of our young lady. Our young lady can't even enter Palace Lord's eyes. To be honest, every time our young lady goes to visit Palace Lady at the Palace residence, she has to avoid Palace Lord because she knows he doesn't like her chatter."

  It's absolutely impossible to say that Li Ji Yao is not worthy of her brother. In terms of status, the county lord's position is higher than his brother, and he is a true godly bloodline. To put it bluntly, it was the eldest princess and the prince consort who looked down on his brother that was the truth. That couple in the princess's mansion, they seemed to be easy-going, but were actually truly arrogant. Hua Xi Yan understood this clearly. Which family wouldn't want their daughter to marry well? Especially since the princess's mansion only had Li Ji Yao as a precious gem, how could they let their daughter suffer and marry off to an official, even if he was a first-rank official, but ultimately not of imperial bloodline.

  However, Hua Yuexuan was also clear that even if the Princess's Manor was willing to marry Li Jiuyao into the Gong family, the Gong family, especially her brother, would absolutely not accept it. Her brother prioritized filial piety, and if he were to marry a princess and bring her home, it wouldn't be the princess serving his mother, but rather his mother serving the princess. How could her brother bear to let his mother suffer such humiliation?

  It never occurred to her that after she passed away, Li Jiyou would often visit the Gong family and seemed to have a good relationship with her mother. Thinking of Madame Gong, Hua Xiuyan fell silent.

  Li Ji-yao said, "Don't misunderstand, Master Yan. The young lady of the manor mentioned Palace's name not because she likes him, but because too many people like him, including that Sun Ruoyu. And then, when it comes to Princess Su'e's illness, no doctor can cure her, this second miss of the Sun family actually advised the princess to invite Palace to come and treat the princess' illness, saying he is a divine doctor. The young lady of the manor heard this and thought of Madame Palace, and a fire started burning in her chest. Who doesn't know that she openly said she wanted to invite Palace to treat the princess' illness, but actually wanted to get close to him? The young lady of the manor didn't want Madame Palace and Palace to fall into Sun's second miss's trap."

  Hua Yu's eyebrows furrowed. Sun Ruyu couldn't believe her brother had such thoughts!

  Liu Aunt came in and told them that someone from the Princess's residence had arrived, knowing that the County Master was entering the palace, and wanted the County Master to return immediately.

  "My mother and father must be afraid that I'll be caught by my imperial brother and punished."

  Hua Yuexuan escorted her to the sedan chair and saw that she had tied a circular jade pendant around her waist. He had seen it several times before, and said: "The young lady seems to be particularly fond of this jade pendant, but I don't see what's special about it?"

  Which girl doesn't like pretty and beautiful things, but the accessory tied around her waist seems ordinary.

  Li Ji Yao saw her ask, and casually took off the jade pendant and handed it to her, saying: "If you like it, the young lady will give it to you."

  Just as she said that, Sanqi, who was serving beside her, became like an enemy, blocking her way and saying to Hua Xiyue: "Miss, please don't be confused with the young lady. You don't know, this jade pendant is something that the princess and her husband went to the Buddhist temple to pray for the young lady's recovery from a serious illness several years ago. It has been worn by the young lady ever since, and she was not allowed to take it off."

  Hua Yu Yan heard this and immediately tied the jade pendant back onto Li Ji Yao's waistband, saying: "I didn't know that the young mistress had been seriously ill."

  "It wasn't even the time when my sister-in-law passed away, but the young lady of the county was too heartbroken and ran to the mountain, where she caught a cold. Don't listen to their nonsense, it's not that serious, the young lady is fine now." Lei Jiying said casually.

  Huā Yùyán said, "Lǜ Cuì, go to my room and bring me a sachet." Lǜ Cuì brought over a sachet and Huā Yùyán put it in Lí Jìyáo's hand, saying: "This sachet was sewn by my own hands. Inside are some ordinary medicinal herbs that can strengthen the body. Miss, you can carry it with you or place it beside your pillow when sleeping; either way is very good."

  It's said that she made it with her own hands, so Li Ji Yao happily put the sachet into her bosom and said: "I like this one, the young mistress of the county will wear it every day, it's better than wearing this thing that doesn't even know what it is."

  As she watched Li Qi Yao leave in her sedan chair, Hua Xi Yan's eyes sank slightly. After waiting for a moment until Liu Gu Gu had walked away, she instructed Lu Cui: "Convey a message to Du Gong. Ask him if he knows that the Second Miss Sun has ulterior motives towards Gong Gong."

  Lu Cui immediately went to contact Du Youzhi's liaison person arranged in the palace.

  Hua Yu Nian was about to go back to her room to rest for a while when Liu Gu Gu came over and said that the Emperor wanted to see her. She knew that at this time, he should have finished meeting with some of his ministers and would be resting. Hua Yu Nian walked over to Yong Ning Palace, and upon arrival, she indeed saw that those ministers had all left. Li Shun De saw her enter the room and immediately went out, closing the door behind him.

  There was a portrait of someone writing with a brush, who heard the sound and asked: "Who's come?"

  Huayu stretched out her hand and lifted the beaded curtain, looking over, he happened to stop writing.

  For a moment, he gazed at her quietly, then slightly raised his eyebrows: "I heard you went to Guangyang Hall this morning."

  They were sent to school, but did not meet with the teachers of the school.

  "It was Zhang Taifu who taught them lessons. You have met him in front of me."

  She walked up beside him, standing a little distance away, as if admiring the characters he was writing.

  He looked at her like that, raised his eyebrows and said: "Isn't it because you despise the value of my words?"

  "The words of the saint are worth thousands of dollars, if they're not sold..."

  Before she could finish, her chin was hooked up by his cold fingers. His ink-like eyes were like hot jumping sparks, staring at her fiercely: "You dare to sell me out."

  "How dare I—" His gaze was like a flame that set her ablaze, making her feel uneasy all over.

  She struggled slightly in his arms, not daring to move, only feeling his fingers touching the waistband of her skirt. His warm breath on her earlobe was like an impatient horse eager to gallop.

  "It's been seven years since we last met, and it seems that you have changed, becoming a stranger to me."

  "What's wrong with you?" The face that had just turned away was locked in a frontal gaze by him.

  In that instant, she could see into his eyes, deep and bottomless, sending a chill down her spine.

  "Close your eyes."

  A stern command issued from his throat, and in an instant she didn't dare move, being pressed onto the table. Her almond-shaped eyes were slightly closed, only to hear the rustling sound of clothes beside her ear, and soon a cool breeze swept across her body. His icy fingers grasped the spot above her heart, making her feel as if he could see her naked soul, causing her to want to push him away with her hand.

  One hand grasped her wrist tightly, and a heavy breath was blown onto her trembling eyelids: "Tell me, are you afraid of me?"

  "There is no one in the world who does not fear the Emperor."

  "This remark suddenly made him chuckle: 'Gong Xuan, I should say you're cunning and full of tricks. But I'm captivated by your nature.'"

  This was the first time he had been frank with her about what he liked about her. Outsiders all said that he was infatuated with her talent, especially her piano skills, and fell in love at first sight.

  He is completely out of tune. His mind is completely outside and nobody can understand him.

  He likes her cunning like a cat, pretending to obey, but actually not.

  "I recall that when you were seven years old, at the palace, I went to find your brother and you said he wasn't there. At that time, I was still a prince, yet you spoke to me with such audacity. It was only because I was incognito that day that you didn't recognize me. Later, your brother suddenly returned, and I revealed my identity. You, so quick-witted, immediately lowered your head and apologized. That year, you were only a few years old, Palace Xuan. Which child isn't spoiled and arrogant, especially those from noble families? Moreover, at that time, I was also in the wrong. But you still kowtowed to me, saying that you were very guilty. Is it because of the good education in this palace, or is it because the daughter of this palace is too cautious, knowing that at that time I had already taken a liking to you?"

  Whether it's Gong Xiangyu or Hua Yuezhen, the seven souls and six spirits remain unchanged. The nature of her bones cannot be changed, becoming her unique mark. So when she became Hua Yuezhen at that time, she could still easily make his heart flutter.

  "Your Majesty is the most revered, I shouldn't have inadvertently offended Your Majesty, shouldn't I be punished?" She felt wronged to death, she lowered her head and admitted her mistake, which could also be considered a crime.

  His eyes suddenly sank, and he pressed his lips against hers.

  Li Shunde waited outside the door and saw Yifeng bring someone over. His spirit shook, he knelt down and paid his respects: "General Lin."

  "Is the Emperor inside?" asked a man known as General Lin, who was only sixteen or seventeen years old, slightly younger than Sun Xuanye, but with a more handsome appearance. He wore a snow-white changshan that accentuated his elegant and refined features, and his tone of voice carried a hint of coldness, like that of a seasoned military commander.

  Li Shunde gave a hint to Yi Feng. Yi Feng then hastily invited General Lin to sit in the small pavilion in the courtyard for a while.

  Inside the house, after a brief moment, it became quiet. Li Shunde heard that there was no movement inside the house and dared to report: "Your Majesty, General Lin has arrived."

  The eunuch went out, the dragon's face came out and said: "Where is he? I'll go see him." He walked towards the cool pavilion in the courtyard. Li Shunde saw this and closed the door, not daring to let anyone in casually.

  Huā Yùyán sat in the chair he had pressed her into, staring blankly at the unfinished writing on his desk, looking like she hadn't come back to herself for a long time.

  I've known him for nearly twenty years, but I still can't figure out what kind of person he is. By the usual definition of a good partner, it's better to stay away from someone like him. But then we had kids. Within two years, he got her pregnant with and gave birth to two children one after another.

  Once you have kids, nothing else matters.

  It's not that she disliked him. When she entered the palace back then, it was with a willing heart. Whether it was because all the members of the imperial family agreed to this marriage or because her brother had a mind to bring it about, it's possible that her brother's thoughts were different from those of other members of the imperial family. However, no matter what, the fact is that if she hadn't married him back then, it's likely that when the previous emperor passed away, her father would have been buried with him.

  The lives of over a hundred people in the Gong family are all precious. As her brother said, she has such a temperament and can't stand seeing anyone bully the Gong family members.

  What's wrong with being an empress? Having power, as long as you have power, can keep the palace safe, what's bad about that. I suppose there are all sorts of reasons why women throughout history have taken this path, but they all boil down to one thing: for their own or their family's benefit. Empress Dowager Cixi is dead, she just lost on this road of fighting for power.

  He picked up the imperial edict he had written in his own handwriting from the table, the ink was still wet, and wrote it in front of her, writing that her father would be transferred to another place, making his intentions very clear, he didn't make things difficult for her father, it was all for her father's good.

  He carefully put this piece of hard work into his bosom.

  As she was walking out, Li Shunde stood at the door and saw her, saying: "The Emperor has something to attend to, otherwise, Yan Shangshu is still waiting in the house."

  "No need. I have something to attend to outside, tell Eunuch Li to prepare the carriage, with His Majesty's permission."

  Li Gonggong listened to her words and saw the imperial edict in her hand, immediately bowing his head in compliance.

  It didn't take long for the carriage to be ready. As she was about to get on, she suddenly saw two young people standing beside her, a boy and a girl, with delicate features and almost identical facial structures, looking like twins. They were dressed in the attire of the Practitioner's family. It seemed that he had sent them to be her guards.

  "I, Shadowgazer, and my sister, Moonchaser, have been ordered by His Majesty to henceforth attend to Your Highness's needs and provide escort for you." The siblings bowed down to pay their respects.

  Huayu Yan saw that the two of them were completely unfamiliar faces, and didn't know when they had met before. Presumably over the past seven years, he must have cultivated many more trusted followers. This was to be expected; when she married him, he had just ascended to the throne, and most people in the palace weren't yet his own. Seven years was enough time for him to reshuffle the deck. And besides, she believed that he was still continuing to do so.

  "You're welcome." he said faintly.

  The one called Chui Yue had already quickly lifted the curtain of the carriage for her. Her brother, Zhu Ying, sat in the driver's seat.

  The two of them moved neatly and efficiently, reminding her of a long time ago when two others had been assigned to attend to her just like him. She wondered what had become of those two.

  She sat in the carriage, and the carriage moved forward. There was no need to ask where she was going, as these two had probably already learned her destination from him. Hua Xiyue leaned against the couch in the carriage, looking at the new female guard, feeling that this time he had assigned someone completely different from before. The people he had previously assigned to her were all enthusiastic and loyal, but this woman, Chuiyue, was beautiful yet cold as ice, an icy beauty.

  There are several servants who put on a cold face to their masters.

  "You and your brother, where did you originally serve? The Ministry of War? A military camp? Under which high-ranking official?"

  Facing her string of questions, Chui Yue's cold face turned to hers: "Your Highness, please don't ask anymore. My brother and I have only one mission, to protect Your Highness."

  Hua Yu Yan seemed to have let out a bored sigh, uninteresting.

  Seeing her lying in the car as if she was about to fall asleep, a hint of surprise flashed across Chui Yue's icy gaze. Perhaps her image had nothing to do with the virtuous empress he had imagined in his heart.

  His father was locked up by him on a mountain and became a farmer and hunter, according to his own words, the body of Guo Da Ye is better than before.

  Away from officialdom, no need to intrigue and fight, the body should be better than before.

  She got down from the horse cart and saw a small wooden house by the edge of the forest, where a middle-aged man was chopping firewood with an axe in front of the door. She walked straight over and called out: "Dad."

  The axe fell with a loud thud, splitting the two blocks of wood apart and sending them tumbling to the side, while the axe itself also fell to the ground.