She knew it!
Stone didn't even bother to roll his eyes: "Then you need to come up with an excuse, but you absolutely can't say that these children are adopted sons and daughters, otherwise people will think we're idiots!"
Luo Pipi fell silent again. An excuse? That's hard to come up with!
"Stone..." After hesitating for a while, Luo Pipi had no choice but to ask Stone for help.
Stone ignored him completely: "Don't bother me, it's none of my business. Even if I'm not a mean person, I'm not someone who's overflowing with love either!"
"But you also bear some responsibility for this!" Luo Pipi looked at Shi Tou with an innocent expression.
Stone glared at him: "What did you say? What does this have to do with me?"
"Stop playing dumb, I already know your identity. Princess Irene, the Goddess of Magic..." Luo Pipi's eyes were filled with resentment: "Do you know why the Luo Ming Empire hates the Beastman Kingdom so much?"
Cough cough, isn't that obvious? Little beastman Xue'er has said it countless times.
Seeing the stone's gaze, Luo Pipi nodded: "According to historical records, Princess Irene, the Goddess of Magic, deeply hated orcs. Under her leadership, the orc kingdom was destroyed, and the orcs suffered inhumane slaughter. Moreover, she did not even spare those races that looked very similar to humans."
Shi Tou looked up at the sky, completely unaware of anything.
“These children I brought are not inherently wrong. Perhaps their ancestors were beastmen, but hundreds of years have passed. Shouldn’t they continue to be slaves generation after generation because of the hatred of their ancestors? Stone, shouldn’t you do something for them?”
"Luo Pipi, what do you want me to do?" Shi Tou was truly helpless. She found that she understood Luo Pipi's thoughts less and less: "Think about it, the so-called past life was all said by Yi Siyue. In fact, I don't remember anything at all. What do you think would happen if I were to suddenly declare myself to be Princess Yilin, the Goddess of Magic?"
"Um, maybe not many people will believe it..." Luo Pipi said weakly.
Stone took a deep breath: "Honey, you're too optimistic. I doubt it. If I really said that, I'd definitely be blasted to smithereens! Not to mention, the six major families of the East wouldn't let me do whatever I wanted!"
"Oh, right!" Luo Pipi suddenly slapped his forehead: "When I went out just now, I heard some news about the six major families of the East, but..."
"What happened?!"
"I don't know the specifics, I just heard passersby discussing it, it seems something happened in the capital. There are rumors that the six major families of the East have joined forces with the Fourth Prince Yi Siyue, and the situation in the capital is very strange."
The stone froze instantly. The six great families of the East and Yi Siyue?! What is this all about? According to Yi Siyue, more than six hundred years ago, the so-called six great families of the East were all slaves of the Yi family. How did they end up united?
"Are you serious? But I think Yi Siyue looks down on the six major families of the East. How could the two sides possibly unite? Besides, I remember that Her Highness the Queen of the Luo Ming Empire is the eldest daughter of the Qin family!"
Actually, to be precise, Her Highness the Queen is not only the eldest daughter of the Qin family, but also the biological mother of the body that Stone currently possesses!
“I also feel that there is something fishy about this matter, but I have no way to contact my father now. Things in the capital can only be spread by word of mouth, and there may be misunderstandings.”
This is the harm of underdeveloped technology.
Stone pondered silently for a moment: "Luo Pipi, I think, could it be that the six major families of the East are planning..."
"Um?"
"betray!"
This time it was Luo Pipi's turn to be horrified. She suddenly felt that it would be better for her to continue discussing the matter of the slaves with Shi Tou. This topic was too heavy…
"Forget it, we don't know the specifics right now. Kodak City is too far from the capital. We might as well wait and see!"
Luo Pipi was even more horrified. She knew about Shitou's background, and that's why she couldn't accept Shitou's calm demeanor: "Shitou, aren't you worried?"
“What are you worried about? I believe that even if the Huo family intends to betray us, they will be fully prepared. Besides, my sister is the only legitimate daughter of the Huo family in this generation. She will be safe no matter what happens to anyone else.”
Luo Pipi opened her mouth, but suddenly didn't know what to say.
Actually, she had just said, "Aren't you worried about your biological mother?" But...
Since Stone doesn't care about her background at all, there's no need for her to remind her all the time, right?
"Luo Pipi, what you should be most worried about right now is not the turmoil in the capital, but how you can disguise yourself as a third-rate blacksmith!" Shi Tou was right. No matter what, since they were telling the outside world that Luo Pipi was the blacksmith, then Luo Pipi couldn't really be completely ignorant about blacksmithing.
Well, even if something is going to be exposed, it will take some time, right?
"I..." Luo Pipi choked, but resignedly went out. Sigh, she needed to prepare a decent forge and practice her blacksmithing skills. Life is so dreary!
In the bedroom, only Shi Tou remained. She sat silently to one side, head bowed, and after a long while, she let out a soft sigh, so soft that it was almost inaudible.
"Biological parents? Can I really completely ignore them?... (Your support is my greatest motivation.)"
☆, Chapter 250: Precursors to a Usurpation of the Throne
Ever since receiving the news from the capital, Shi Tou has been restless these past few days. It's not that she's worrying unnecessarily, but based on her understanding of the six major families in the East, she feels that what Luo Pipi said is most likely true.
However, after thinking about it, Shi Tou felt something was amiss. According to Yi Siyue, he was a descendant of the Yi family, not Yilin. The six great families of the East were all descendants of the servants of the goddess of magic, Yilin. In that case, the six great families of the East shouldn't be helping Yi Siyue against the royal family.
only……
Six hundred years is a long time; too many things can change. No one can be sure that the six great families of the East will still be as loyal to the royal family as they were six hundred years ago.
"Hey, you guys go sit over there, it's almost time to eat!" Linda's voice brought Stone back to reality.
These past few days, Luo Pipi has been wandering around Kodak City, though she also has a mission: to gather intelligence. Shi Tou is busy in his makeshift forge at home, casually producing a few finished products. As for Linda, she's been taking care of the little ones.
Actually, the little ones don't need much care at all. The oldest, Zhuangzhuang, is already eleven years old. He can not only take care of himself, but also his younger sister, Dandan, who is less than a year old. The other two boys and girls have become good friends with Liuliu, and at least they can take care of themselves without any problems.
Looking at their sensible faces, Shi Tou felt a pang of sadness, because she knew that these children wouldn't be so mature if they hadn't experienced life's hardships. Thinking back to her past life, children their age were in elementary school, playing, making a fuss, and always wanting to be pampered by their parents.
Regarding their parents, Shi Tou also took the time to ask the eldest, Zhuang Zhuang. According to Zhuang Zhuang, his father died from exhaustion while his mother was pregnant. His mother also passed away shortly after giving birth to his younger sister. The other two children reportedly had similar fates. Just as Luo Pi Pi had said before, slaves have very short lifespans.
With a sigh, Shi Tou walked over to Zhuang Zhuang and took the egg from his arms: "You eat first, I'll take care of your sister for you."
Zhuangzhuang glanced gratefully at Shitou. After only a few days together, he already knew his owners' temperaments. Like the lady of the house, although she sometimes argued with the man, she was always kind and gentle to them. However, the lady of the house was completely incapable of taking care of children, so he'd better finish his meal quickly and then continue looking after his little sister.
Shi Tou was unaware of Zhuang Zhuang's thoughts; he simply carried Dan Dan around the room. A child just over a year old is at the most adorable age. Dan Dan was no exception. Although she looked a little malnourished, overall she was still quite cute.
"Liuliu's mom!" At this moment, Luo Pipi came back from outside. When she saw Shitou holding Dandan, she was stunned for a moment, then turned to Zhuangzhuang and said, "Zhuangzhuang, take your sister away. Liuliu's mom and I have something to discuss."
Shi Tou looked at Luo Pi Pi with a somewhat blank expression. Luo Pi Pi had a very serious face. Suddenly, Shi Tou felt a chill run down her spine; her intuition told her that something big had happened.
The two entered the bedroom. Shi Tou pursed his lips and looked at Luo Pi Pi without saying a word.
Luo Pipi hesitated for a moment. She took something out of her spatial equipment: "Take a look, this is the mission issued by the Mercenary Association today. I copied it."
Taking the item, Shi Tou scanned it quickly, growing more and more shocked: "This...this can't be real, can it?"
"I don't want this to be true either." Luo Pipi sighed. "I remember the president of the Mercenary Association is also from one of the six great families of the East, right?"
Stone looked up dejectedly: "Look at what you're saying, the Mercenary Association and the Mage Guild are all made up of the six great families of the East."
"Anything else? I remember that many important positions in the Fallen Nether Empire are controlled by the six major families of the East, right?"
Shi Tou nodded: "Although I didn't have a say in family affairs when I was in the Huo family, there are some things Huo Xiaoxiao didn't hide from me. I don't know about the past, but now the majority of the power in the Luo Ming Empire belongs to the six major families in the East."
Dejected, Stone looked down at the item in her hand and had to admit that her previous guess had probably come true. The item listed dozens of missions announced by the Mercenary Guild, large and small. At first glance, it didn't seem like anything special, but upon closer inspection, it gave off a very strange feeling.
Stone had already guessed the intentions of the six major families in the East. With this in mind, he immediately knew that this was the signal for them to make their move.
"That's not right. Even if the six major families in the East are very powerful, won't their actions provoke opposition from the public?"
Luo Pipi glanced at the stone indifferently: "Take another look at those missions. On the surface, they may just be some large-scale hunting missions, but if you look closely, they are signals to gather everyone together."
“I know all that, but are they really that audacious? Is it really okay for them to recruit soldiers so openly?” Stone’s brows furrowed tightly, and his palms began to sweat. In any world, the change of dynasties takes time, and this process often comes at a bloody price.
The royal family of the Fallen Nether Empire was the home of her biological parents. She felt a natural affinity with the six great families of the East. Moreover, Shi Tou had stayed with the Huo family for several years, and the Huo family members treated her well, especially Huo Xiaoxiao.
"Stone, have you thought about what to do?" Seeing that Stone hadn't spoken for a long time, Luo Pipi couldn't help but remind him.
Stone lowered his head, his hands clenching involuntarily, and gritted his teeth as he said, "Right now, it's just a sign, but the fighting hasn't actually started yet."
Luo Pipi looked at Shi Tou with a hint of sympathy. From her perspective, if something really happened, she and her father would definitely prioritize their own interests. In other words, they would go with whichever side offered the highest price.
In fact, Luo Pipi also knew that in this world, how many people were truly loyal to the royal family? The vast majority of people still prioritized their own interests.
"If, and I mean if, the six great families of the East really were to plot a coup, what would you do?"
Shi Tou looked up blankly. She was nominally the second young lady of the Huo family, but in reality, she was the sixth princess of the Luo Ming Empire. No matter which side she chose, she felt she would not be at peace with herself.
"And you? What would you choose?" Unable to give an answer, Stone had no choice but to pass the buck to Pipi.
Luo Pipi answered with unusual decisiveness: "I'll help whoever offers the most benefits." Seeing Shi Tou's slightly bewildered expression, she added cheerfully, "Don't worry, I know my father very well. He's not very loyal to the royal family. If the six major families of the East offer a high price, he'll definitely surrender happily."
Stone silently wiped away his sweat: "You guys are really..."
"Actually, let me tell you, if the six major families of the East really want to seize the throne, then the chances of success are very high."
"Why? The royal family isn't that incompetent, is it?" Stone couldn't understand. Although she harbored resentment towards her biological parents, she didn't have much to say about the royal family's actions. After all, His Majesty the King wasn't King Zhou of Shang.
“Stone, your history is bad. You don’t know that the current king is not actually the true heir.”
Stone pursed his lips and pondered for a moment: "That's right, Yi Shiyue said that the previous king didn't actually have royal blood, so after his death, the eldest prince didn't inherit the throne. And the current king must be the former king's younger brother, right?"
“Yes!” Luo Pipi nodded approvingly: “The problem is, we know these things, but others don’t. The former king was brave and skilled in battle; it can be said that he conquered that large area of territory in the north.”
"But he's already dead."
"He did not die a natural death."
Shi Tou was startled; she had no idea what secrets were involved.
"Of course, this is just a rumor. Because the former king was a true genius. He was not only an eight-star Qi Master, but also a seven-star earth mage."
"What?!" Having been in this other world for so long, this was the first person Stone had ever heard of who practiced both magic and martial arts. Logically, practicing both should easily result in not mastering either. But this person actually…
It seems there are quite a few geniuses in this world!
"What made the former king most outstanding wasn't his own strength, but his ability to lead troops into battle. It can be said that he was truly a genius." Luo Pipi's eyes sparkled, showing her great admiration for that historically renowned king.
"If that's the case, how did he die in battle?" She asked this, but Stone already knew the answer. After all, how many palace secrets had she heard and seen in her past life?
"He died in battle, but that war was very strange." Luo Pipi sighed. "You know, on the battlefield, the ratio of people is crucial. No matter how powerful a person is, it's impossible for him to defeat hundreds of thousands of enemies. Even if that person can use a god-level forbidden spell, it's the same."
Stone didn't know what a divine forbidden spell was, but she did know that in the era of cold weapons, the ratio of numbers between the two sides on the battlefield was extremely important. There were examples of defeating a larger force with a smaller one, but winning with an overwhelmingly large number of enemies was practically impossible.
"In that war, His Majesty led his personal guard, numbering over a thousand, against an army of three million from the Empire!"
He gasped sharply, unable to believe his ears for a moment.
Luo Pipi smiled slightly, but there was a hint of something intriguing in that smile: "It's quite exaggerated, isn't it? But he still won!"
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This chapter title is so annoying!