Military Advisor and Princess

Chapter 79

"But..." Faced with Ao Xue's domineering attitude, Jin Xuan could only turn to his elder brother for help, "Come and see your wife, I can't take it anymore."

"Ahem, Qing'er! Today is Jin'er's birthday, and all the officials are here. Stop making a fuss. Can we talk about your matter later?" Zheng Xuan, seeing Jin Xuan's pleading look, whispered softly in Ao Xue's ear, feeling somewhat pressured. He had to keep Qing'er calm today, no matter what, and prevent Jin Xuan and Mo Jun from meeting.

"No!" Ao Xue pushed Zheng Xuan aside loudly, her eyes filled with anger. Xiao Xuan's birthday was her business, which she could ignore for now, but today, regardless of whose birthday it was or who was here, she was determined to see Mo Jun. Before today, she would have considered the face of the royal family, the face of Xiao Xuan, and the face of Jin Xuan, but at this moment, after seeing the program arranged by Mo Jun and hearing the song "Meeting with Jun," even if the King of Heaven himself came, nothing could stop her determination to see Mo Jun.

"You... Qing'er, since you've come to this, then don't blame me. Eunuch Li, Her Majesty the Empress is unwell. Please return to the palace to rest." Zheng Xuan's face hardened, and he spoke to Eunuch Li beside him with an air of imperial authority. Inwardly, however, he was thinking anxiously: Qing'er, give me some face and go back first! Once you're back, you can do whatever you want to me, I won't retaliate.

"Yes." Eunuch Li hesitated for a moment, sighed, walked up to Aoxue, and respectfully said, "Your Majesty, please." In his heart, however, he kept silently mourning for his emperor: Your Majesty, please take good care of yourself! I hope you'll be gentle this time.

"I won't return to the palace, Ouyang Zhengxuan. If I don't see Mo Jun today, don't even think about letting me go back." Ao Xueguang stared coldly at Zhengxuan, her voice firm and angry. "You, Ouyang Zhengxuan, how dare you treat me like this! Just wait and see how I deal with you later."

"Eunuch Li!" Zhengxuan avoided Aoxue's gaze, hardened his heart, and roared. "Qing'er, I did this for our future, please don't blame me." But after all, he had still lied to her, and he couldn't help feeling a little guilty.

"Yes, Your Majesty, please don't make things difficult for this old servant. Please return to the palace!" Li Gonggong was so frightened by Zhengxuan's roar that his legs trembled. His face was bitter, his voice trembling as he pleaded with Aoxue. The Emperor's anger was no small matter, but everyone in the harem knew that the Empress was even more powerful than the Emperor, and certainly not to be offended. Alas, being someone's servant was truly miserable! Especially when both masters were in a bad mood, he was like a sandwich filling, caught in the middle!

"I said I wouldn't go back, and I won't!" Aoxue roared at Zhengxuan, ignoring the anxious and almost crying Eunuch Li.

"You..." Zhengxuan was so angry that he pointed directly at Aoxue, but he couldn't utter a single word. He knew Qing'er's personality best; she was a woman of her word, especially when she was being so forceful. Even if he forced her, he couldn't bring her back to the palace without hurting her. Was he really unable to stop her today?

For a moment, everyone fell silent. The emperor and empress were arguing, and as their subjects, they could only stand there silently, holding their breath, fearing that their conflict would spill over onto them. But why wouldn't the emperor allow the empress to see Young Master Mo? And why was the empress so unusually insistent on seeing Young Master Mo?

"Ahem... Your Highness, I've heard there's a fascinating place in the palace called the basketball court. I've long wanted to see it for myself. Now that all the officials are here, would you be so kind as to take us there?" It was Prime Minister Xiao who finally stepped forward to ease the tension, deliberately changing the subject as he spoke to Jin Xuan. One was his son-in-law, the other his empress daughter; if he didn't step forward, who would?

"Your Excellency is right. I have long wanted to see the basketball court in the Prince's Palace. I heard that it was designed by Her Majesty the Empress. Her Majesty is truly talented!" A smooth-talking minister immediately chimed in, not forgetting to flatter Ao Xue.

"This humble official has also long wanted to see it..."

"Your Highness, I've also been wanting to see it for a long time..."

"I have long yearned to see the basketball court. Since it is Your Highness's birthday today, let me and the others have a chance to witness it!"

Under Xiao Qiyuan's influence, all the officials in the court eagerly requested to see the basketball court, as if the emperor and empress's quarrel had never happened. This was the smoothness of an official.

Jinxuan glanced at Zhu Bo, who immediately understood and stepped forward, whispering in Jinxuan's ear, "This old servant just saw that Young Master Mo has returned to his room and is not in the backyard."

Jin Xuan nodded and said loudly, "Since you gentlemen all wish to see, how could I refuse? Please follow me." He then glanced at Zheng Xuan and walked towards the backyard first.

"Qing'er, let's go to the basketball court first, so as not to spoil the Prime Minister's mood." Zhengxuan saw the look Jinxuan was giving him and knew that Mo Jun wasn't in the backyard, so he relaxed. He suddenly went from being an emperor to a devoted husband, even bringing up his father because he was worried that Aoxue wouldn't accept him. Sigh, being an emperor like this, he might as well just buy a block of tofu and kill himself.

"Hmph." Ao Xue flicked her sleeve and snorted coldly, but still followed Jin Xuan toward the basketball court.

Zhengxuan breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Aoxue hadn't listened to him after all, and then followed her to the basketball court. All the guests left when the emperor and empress had left as well.

Zhengxuan, Aoxue, and Jinxuan walked at the front, followed by the entire court of civil and military officials. The group arrived at the backyard in a grand procession. As soon as they stepped into the backyard, everyone was immediately captivated by the scene before them. Only Jinxuan was momentarily dazed before looking at Aoxue with a face full of unease.

What was once an empty basketball court was now occupied by a stunningly beautiful young man in a pristine white robe, dribbling the ball with practiced ease. He made a beautiful three-pointer, followed by a spun dunk. Whether dribbling or shooting, his exquisite figure, his nimble movements, his handsome face bathed in sunlight with a cool arrogance, and his unfathomable, intelligent dark eyes... all of this made the world pale in comparison. It was as if the heavens had bestowed special favor upon him, showering him with all the beauty in the world. So otherworldly and ethereal, he seemed like a celestial being who had mistakenly descended to the mortal realm, not an ordinary person.

When Aoxue first saw the scene before her, she was, like everyone else, deeply disheartened. Then, she took a step back in disbelief, her eyes brimming with tears, her mind going completely blank, unable to think of anything.

Zhengxuan felt the same way. The moment he stepped into the backyard, the white-clad figure instantly captivated him. He was about to turn back and ask Jinxuan, but upon seeing Jinxuan's uneasy expression, he was startled and looked with a hint of fear at Aoxue, whose eyes were now brimming with tears. That person was none other than Mo Jun. They had gone to great lengths to prevent the two from meeting, yet in the end, they were allowed to meet. They thought everything was under control, but unexpectedly, Qing'er suddenly returned, and Mo Jun suddenly appeared here. Was this truly fate?

"Uncle Zhu, what's going on?" Jinxuan asked Uncle Zhu, who was equally stunned, with a dark and angry expression.

"Uh... Your Highness, please forgive me, this old servant truly has no idea why Young Master Mo would suddenly appear here." Zhu Bo snapped out of his daze at Jin Xuan's angry shout, and seeing the Emperor and the Prince's gloomy faces, he said in a panic. He clearly saw Young Master Mo return to his room, so why would he suddenly appear on the basketball court?

The entire court was stunned when they saw that stunning figure. When they heard that this person was none other than the world's most famous strategist, Young Master Mo, they all gasped sharply. Some even had suspicious liquid at the corners of their mouths. The daughters of officials turned into stone beauties. Only their bright eyes and thunderous heartbeats showed that they were still alive. Several even fainted.

After hearing the noise, Ao Jun stopped, holding a basketball, and looked over at Ao Xue and the others. In an instant, even more people fainted, and some of the young officials also collapsed with a 'thud'.

When Ao Jun saw so many people, she first frowned slightly. Then, she quickly spotted a stunningly handsome young man among them who bore a resemblance to her. He was dressed as a servant and had teary eyes. Her heart trembled, and her eyes welled up with tears. She gripped the basketball tightly, as if she had a thousand words to say, but for a moment, she was speechless. Their eyes met in mid-air, and for a moment, it was as if everything around them disappeared, and the whole world consisted only of the two of them. Memories flashed before their eyes, and excitement, disbelief, joy... all sorts of emotions swirled between them. Their world had no room for anyone else.

"Qing'er..."

"Jun..."

Filled with unease, the two softly called out their beloved's name, but the two, immersed in their excitement, completely ignored them. This sight filled the Ouyang brothers with fear: Jun (Qing'er) was too unfamiliar; she seemed so far away, impossible to grasp. There was no place for him between them. Their suspicions had been correct all along—they truly had a past. Was this reunion awakening everything between them? Were they about to lose each other? No, Jun (Qing'er) couldn't leave him, or he wouldn't be able to live. Perhaps it wasn't too late. If they could take Jun (Qing'er) away and prevent them from seeing each other again, perhaps with time they would forget each other. Even if he hated them, he didn't want to lose his beloved.

Zhengxuan and Jinxuan, true brothers, had the same idea. But before they could make a move, Aojun and Aoxue smiled knowingly. Aojun's enchanting smile was breathtaking, and Aoxue's stunningly beautiful smile made the world seem to lose its color. For a moment, there was only the sound of 'bang, bang, bang...'. The backyard, which had been crowded with people, was instantly filled with only Aoxue, Aoxue, and Zhengxuan, Jinxuan, Xiao Qiyuan, Liu Jingming, and Zhu Bo, who were completely stunned and had suspicious red liquid under their noses. Where were the others? If you looked down, you would see what could be called the most classic scene in the history of Longxuan. The scene was truly spectacular. All the civil and military officials, as well as all the noble ladies, were lying stiffly on the ground, with silly smiles on their faces, blood streaming down their noses like a burst dam, unaware of it, and their eyes shining as they looked at the celestial figures.

Ao Jun ignored everything in front of him, smiling as he tossed the basketball to Ao Xue. Ao Xue caught it perfectly, her figure flashing as she dribbled the ball to the basket, leaped up, and executed a precise dunk. Turning around, she faced Ao Jun at close range. The smiles on their faces vanished simultaneously. Ao Jun once again adopted a cold and indifferent demeanor, but exuded an aura that was impossible to ignore. Ao Xue, on the other hand, stared intently at Ao Jun's white robes, radiating an innate noble air, as if she were born to be a superior being.

The two, finally regaining their senses, awkwardly wiped the red liquid from under their noses. Some of the officials who had collapsed to the ground slowly recovered, propping themselves up with their hands. Upon seeing their empress's incredibly dashing movement, many rolled their eyes and collapsed again, their only thought before they fell: So beautiful, so captivating, she's killing them...

Just as everyone was worrying that they might bleed to death from the shock, they saw the 'culprit' finally take pity and stop laughing. Although the two standing together still made them dizzy, thankfully, after witnessing that 'world-destroying' smile, they could still bear this scene. Just as they were slowly relaxing, they were suddenly overwhelmed by the intense heat of the arena. The two standing on the platform under the sunlight seemed like naturally noble kings, standing on a high peak, looking down on the masses, so proud, so aloof, that everyone had to submit to them.

They weren't surprised that the Empress possessed such an aura, but how could Young Master Mo, a mere scholar and wise man, possess such a kingly presence, commanding thousands of troops and overwhelming all others? Apart from generals like Wei Ziqi, who had already witnessed Ao Junfei's imposing aura, the other officials were once again deeply shocked, while the young lady's heart sank even deeper.

The brothers Zhengxuan and Jinxuan exchanged a puzzled and deeply worried look. They couldn't understand why the two women had suddenly changed their expressions. Their demeanor was nothing like that of lovers reunited; it was more like the meeting of enemies. It was as if their previous "affectionate gaze" had been an illusion. What... what was going on? Had they both been wrong? They knew each other, but they weren't lovers; they were enemies? How could that be? If they were enemies, what should they do?

"Jun..."

"Qing'er..."

The two brothers called out simultaneously and strode towards the two women. They didn't know what they could do there; they just wanted to stand beside them. These two brothers, who had always been in control of everything since childhood, remained calm and composed even when faced with treacherous officials plotting to usurp the throne or foreign invasions. Now, however, they couldn't understand what these two women were up to. They couldn't control them at all, and they couldn't even figure out their relationship. They were truly their nemesis.

"Stop!" Ao Jun and Ao Xue simultaneously shouted coldly, stopping the two brothers who were about to walk up to them.

Zhengxuan and Jinxuan paused for a moment, but then resolutely continued walking forward. They were both people they cherished, and they couldn't let anything happen to either of them. Therefore, they wouldn't listen to them this time.

"Don't come any closer. This is a matter of 'fighting' between the two of us. No one is allowed to interfere. Don't blame me for being impolite." Seeing that Zhengxuan and Jinxuan were not listening to them at all, Aojun and Aoxue turned around and threatened them in a cold voice. Their faces were serious, and their eyes clearly expressed one meaning: Whoever comes over can forget about seeing them again.

Zhengxuan and Jinxuan abruptly stopped in their tracks. It seemed they could only stay aside, because they both knew that the women were definitely people of their word. But if anything happened, they would take action even if it meant being hated for life. The two of them told themselves this at the same time.

Ao Xue turned her head back with satisfaction, staring strangely at Ao Jun's white robes, and said coldly, "Don't you like wearing white clothes? Have you forgotten how easily they get dirty?"