He paused for a moment, then his eyes softened, and he reached out to hug me.
"It was my fault. How about this, why don't you go for a walk around the North Gate that day and see who that red-faced person is?"
"Don't try to test me in a roundabout way, or I'm really leaving."
Perhaps he had spoken too harshly, for his face turned pale, and his fingertips slowly grew cold.
"Don't let me hear you say that a second time."
"You started this, I told you to trust me, not to die." Annoying as she was, this person was undeniably comfortable to hug.
He chuckled and pinched my cheek. "Okay, I'll have time on the fifteenth. I'll take you out to play?"
"Okay, come with me to buy crabs in the morning, and we'll make mooncakes, do the fire dragon dance, and release lanterns in the evening..."
He smiled and agreed to each one, and his fingertips were finally no longer cold.
Chapter 107
According to past practice, the royal family would worship the moon at Chaotian Mountain every Mid-Autumn Festival, but this year they moved to Phoenix Mountain, which was truly puzzling. Although Phoenix Mountain was not explicitly under the jurisdiction of the imperial city, everyone knew and tacitly agreed that going to Phoenix Mountain to worship the heavens and the moon required the approval of the Heavenly Emperor and the Nine Dukes. Now, the Xiao family had gone up the mountain openly, and Nangong Ling had not uttered a word, seemingly agreeing to go with them.
This humble stance drew considerable resentment from the outer city's inhabitants. While no one directly petitioned the authorities, private complaints consistently found their way in through various channels, indicating that discontent also existed among some within the inner city. Originally, the imperial city was an independent entity, situated on the border of the Xiling Kingdom. Further north lay the Lianshan Seven Kingdoms and then the Tianzu Kingdom. Even though war had once raged and smoke filled the air, it would never have affected the imperial city. Therefore, generation after generation, the city's inhabitants had developed a deep-seated pride, and they would not tolerate others easily trampling upon them.
"I heard that the suggestion to come to Phoenix Mountain to worship the moon was made by the Empress Dowager."
Every day, right on time, it's Gemini An's chat time!
"Xiaoman, my eyes hurt. Can you sew this flower for me?"
"Madam, at least finish embroidering the lace on the sleeves..."
"She often gives up halfway through. Sewing clothes for Nangong Ling was just a whim. I told you she wouldn't last an hour."
"Go away! If you don't speak, no one will think you're mute."
"Go ahead and act all fierce, making everyone point the finger at you. Enough already. With his current status and ability, who would dare to disrespect him?"
"Of course I know."
"Then what are you still worried about?"
What should I do if my waist has gotten bigger and I can't fit into my clothes anymore?
"He surely wouldn't be unwilling to pay for a few pieces of clothing."
"Do you think everyone is as stingy as you?" I rolled my eyes at him. "The problem is that these summer clothes were all made at the beginning of last month."
"...Even a pig couldn't run that fast. What have you been eating?"
"I eat everything, my appetite has been especially good lately." Speaking of food, I remembered the peach shortbread from the fruit shop in the outer city; the smell alone makes my mouth water. "Hey, come with me to the outer city, I want to eat peach shortbread."
"Who could eat this in this sweltering heat!"
"I showed you, I didn't ask you to eat. Now I'm leaving!"
After exiting the Gate of Immortality, the twins looked around for a while and then mysteriously approached to ask.
"You are free to come and go?"
"nonsense."
"Hey, shouldn't Nangong Ling be on high alert right now? Li Mu and Xiao Lianjue are both on the mountaintop."
"That day, I watched their carriages bump all the way up the mountain from the Seven Star Tower. It was a grand procession that was hard to miss. The grandeur was truly befitting of the Xiling Kingdom, the most powerful nation in the Central Plains."
"I don't know how powerful they are, but I do know that after Nangong Ling's purge last time, the landscape of the martial arts world was turned upside down. Do you know how many people were taken in by the Yeting Prefecture during the chaos?"
What are you trying to say?
"Li Yu is not Li Mu's biological son."
Although this inside story is exciting, what does it have to do with the Imperial Household Department?
"To be honest, it's quite complicated. Sigh, the affairs of the palace, once exposed, are all incredibly dirty. The late Emperor Gaozu's Consort Li, now Empress Dowager Li, was cunning and scheming. She used every trick in the book to ensure her son ascended the throne. That Emperor Gaozu deserved his misfortune; with such a powerful woman dominating the harem, he still wanted to indulge in debauchery day and night. For example, Qin Juanrou was almost dragged into the palace, but her reputation was too great. Consort Li was prepared and sent people to warn her, claiming she was too promiscuous and impure. Together with a group of high-ranking officials, they managed to suppress the matter." Qin Juanrou didn't mean it that way; how could someone as proud and arrogant as her possibly be interested in the old emperor? Not long after this matter subsided, news broke that the daughter of the Left Prime Minister was pregnant out of wedlock. Back then, Consort Li had climbed her way up through the Left Prime Minister's connections, and it was out of gratitude that the woman covered it up, even wanting to seek justice for the Left Prime Minister's daughter. The investigation, however, unexpectedly led to her husband's involvement. But no one expected that this was actually a scheme orchestrated by the old emperor. Before Consort Li could speak out, an imperial edict reached Li Mu's hands. Do you know what was on the edict?
"..." With my mouth full of peach shortbread, I didn't answer him, knowing he would just keep talking anyway.
"Yesterday, the Emperor appeared to me in a dream, telling me that the Prime Minister's daughter is gentle and virtuous, naturally gifted and intelligent; her character is noble and pure, and her talents are innate. The Emperor's younger brother, Mu Hui, is brave and outstanding, possessing exceptional abilities, excelling in both literature and martial arts. This is a perfect match, a match made in heaven, and choosing an auspicious day for their marriage is in accordance with the will of Heaven." He clapped his hands excitedly, "This move is absolutely brilliant! An imperial decree, and both the man and woman are unmarried, yet the entire process from choosing the date to the marriage is completed in one go, not even giving Consort Li time to spread the news that the Prime Minister's daughter is pregnant out of wedlock. How could her precious younger brother allow outsiders to laugh at him for marrying a 'loose woman'? Naturally, he had no choice but to swallow his pride and bear it. On the day of the banquet, he even had to pretend to be happy. Tsk tsk, what skill! I certainly couldn't do that."
"And then what?" After going around in circles for so long, he still hadn't gotten to the point. It was completely different from the Imperial Household Department.
"Haha, although Consort Li suffered a silent loss in this matter, in another matter... sigh, I don't even know how to describe her. Well, the current emperor's younger brother, Xiao Zongjiu, was originally the ninth son of Emperor Gaozu. Logically speaking, he shouldn't have been the emperor at all, but he had a good mother. The crown prince, Xiao Lianjue, was the legitimate son of Empress Zhou. Empress Zhou married Emperor Gaozu when he was still the crown prince, and she was his first wife. Her position was unshakeable. Even when Consort Li was at her most favored, she had to show her respect. Unfortunately, beautiful women often have short lives. She died in childbirth when she gave birth to Xiao Lianjue. Emperor Gaozu was very sad and immediately made Xiao Lianjue, who was less than a month old and hadn't even been named yet, the crown prince. Surprisingly, no one in the court or the country objected. Given the current situation, the women in the harem were all shrewd and knew the principle of retreating to advance. No one dared to utter a word, and there was no reason for them not to acknowledge this crown prince. Anyway, there was plenty of time to find fault with him later."
He paused, downed a cup of tea, and took a breath before continuing.
"This fourth prince entered the Eastern Palace at a young age, second only to the emperor. His arrogance goes without saying, but he's also no pushover. Consort Li has tried several times but failed to touch him, not to mention that he eliminated several brothers who could stand in his way when he was just over ten years old. The rest are all powerless to climb to a high position, except for the ninth prince, Xiao Zongjiu. Just the fact that he's sitting on that dragon throne today shows he's not someone to be trifled with, especially with his mother's help. But in the end, it's always the case that the devil is one step ahead of the saint, and the old fox is always the most cunning."
Just then, the sound of gongs and drums came from afar, and a bright red sedan chair was seen parading through the city. It was covered with red and gold silk and brocade curtains, embroidered with auspicious unicorns, golden dragons and colorful phoenixes. A string of golden copper bells hung from the top of the sedan chair, and their tinkling sound was like celestial music. I wondered what material it was made of that made it so melodious.
Gemini turned to look, and her words were interrupted.
Chapter 108
"Don't talk about people during the day, and don't talk about ghosts at night." These were the first words Gemini An said after seeing the person step out of the sedan chair.
"I'm full, let's go back."
"Hey? I haven't finished yet."
"Then stop talking. I'm only listening to your rambling because I see you've been having a lot of trouble with your brother lately."
He curled his lip and snorted through his nose.
"You're leaving already? Aren't you going to take anything back for Nangong Ling?"
"He doesn't like these foods." You're so thoughtful, yet you've become addicted to them just like me.
That man was so picky; he would almost never touch anything that wasn't handled by Chef Zheng.
This back-and-forth took some time, so a chance encounter was inevitable. So, Gemini, you're such a jinx!
The first to step through the door was the man who always dressed flamboyantly, as if afraid people wouldn't remember him. This time, he wore a pine-green brocade dress with colorful clouds, his long hair tied up with a golden crown, making him look much more serious.
He wasn't surprised to see me; his smile, with its usual frivolous and flirtatious grin, made me break out in a cold sweat. I felt like a frog being stared at by a snake.
"Watch your step." A gentle voice accompanied a face that wasn't entirely unfamiliar.
Li Mu helped a woman dressed in a golden silk robe embroidered with phoenixes and auspicious clouds into the room. Judging from her demeanor and the attitudes of the others, her identity was obvious.
You've really condescended to come to this tiny fruit shop instead of Yahetang. Even if the pastries here are famous, there's no need for a whole group of you to come here and crowd around.
"Xiao Mu, why have you been so careless lately? You're always so absent-minded. I wanted to have a good family gathering, so where did this busybody come from?"
She is very well-preserved and doesn't look forty years old at all. She has a light figure and a delicate face, but her eyes are quite domineering.
Unauthorized personnel? I just don't want to get in the way of the shopkeeper's business. Otherwise, if I gave the order, would you still want to come in?
"Where are the strangers? I didn't see them." He looked around in surprise. "Oh, so they're here. No wonder I didn't see them."
I've never seen anyone act so pretentious. I rolled my eyes at the sky and felt completely exhausted and sleepy. I'm going to go back and take a nap.
"Gemini An, are you coming or not?" Turning around, I saw Gemini An and the shopkeeper packing things.
"They're here, they're here."
Who was it that said they didn't want to eat just now, and now their hands are full of food?
"Come back. Did I allow you to leave?"
I stopped and turned to look at her for a moment, then pointed to myself and then to Gemini Ann, "Am I still him?"
His already domineering eyes became even more piercing as he stared at me. I pursed my lips and waved my hand with a half-smile.
"This is not the Xiling Kingdom."
"It will happen sooner or later." She smiled, brimming with confidence. "Your Majesty, isn't this girl quite pretty?"
"You can see it." A flat, emotionless voice came from behind me.
The person in high rank was not so ostentatious. His satin was of the finest quality, but it was a plain, single-color garment. His smoky gray robe only had subtle silver thread embroidery on the collar, cuffs, and hem. This understated elegance accentuated the composure and majesty of a ruler. Beside him was, of course, his ever-present Consort Ming, whose gaze toward me grew increasingly strange because of the Empress Dowager's words.
"She's no longer a young lady, she's already a lady."
"Oh? So you know her?"
Li Mu smiled but remained silent, his eyes unfathomable. This man's son is missing, yet he can still laugh…
Suddenly remembering this, my eyes widened, and I quickly grabbed Gemini and ran.
But someone was faster than me; Xiao Lianjue, who had been silent all along, quietly blocked the doorway.
If it were me in my younger days, I would have definitely cursed, "A good dog shouldn't be blocking the way." Instead, I forced a smile and simply asked, "Is there anything else?"
The person who was laughing incomprehensibly in front of me was stunned by my reaction.
"When did you, Rong Lian, change your ways?" Li Mu asked, equally surprised.
I turned my head and smiled at him, "I'll remember to let you know if there's another chance to transfer."
I couldn't be bothered to get angry at all. The sun was shining brightly outside, making me feel dizzy and sleepy.
"I'd rather see my second brother than my eldest brother."
As expected, Xiao Lianjue smiled and stepped aside. He hadn't uttered a single word since he entered. Recalling Shuang Zian's words earlier, this was hardly a family. Xiao Lianjue was completely superfluous, and rather dangerous, being caught in the middle. What was the Empress Dowager thinking? Why would she eat with them without getting rid of him? Were the Li family really that generous?