"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?
Forget it, why am I worrying about it? Even if there are undercurrents, they won't affect me.
I guess I was incredibly bored, and I even put on a nice face and wasted so much time talking to them. I pursed my lips, ignored the twins behind me, and started walking away.
On the way back, I heard a lot of gossip, all about how weak and incompetent the city lord was, allowing people from other countries to come and go in the city so casually.
Not to mention during the day, sometimes even at midnight, that person might not be seen in the Nine-Story Tower, so it's not surprising that I didn't see him. I had Xiaoman make up a bed, and I lay down and fell asleep.
I slept until sunset, but when I opened my eyes, I was too lazy to get up.
“Madam,” Xiaoman peeked in, lifting the curtain, “His Majesty has sent someone to invite you to dine at Xianglong Pavilion.”
"I'm not going. Just say I'm not hungry." I ate too much earlier, and even after sleeping for a while, I haven't finished digesting it.
It's probably quite unusual that I don't eat, because in the evening, someone who hadn't appeared at the Nine-Story Tower for the past two days suddenly showed up.
"Eat less peach shortbread in the future, and don't keep missing your regular meals." That was the first thing he said when he came in, and he frowned when he saw me still lying in bed.
"oh."
"What's wrong with you lately? You're always so lethargic and listless. Have you gone back to winter again?"
"Yunzhi." I opened my arms, and he understood, coming over to let me hug him. "When did you become so docile? How can you remain calm when someone bullies you like this?"
“I’m not like you, someone who can just lift me up the mountain.”
"Go on, let me be serious. It's alright inside, but some people outside are swearing really badly."
He laughed, put his hand on my waist and patted it around, "You've gained weight again."
Okay, he just doesn't want to answer my questions properly and is using this to change the subject.
"Go back to your study and don't come back to sleep."
I pushed him away, and he actually stepped back a little to cooperate, but he still held my hand. His dark eyes stared straight at me, and suddenly he leaned in and kissed me, then let go and really left.
"Sleep well, don't think about me." He left without turning his head, waving his hand as he went out the door.
I stared wide-eyed. Only a ghost would miss you!
Chapter 109
As expected, he left and never came back. I was so angry that I was practically full from being hungry in the middle of the night. Suddenly, I realized a very serious problem: since we got married, I've been the one taking the initiative almost the whole time. Thinking about this, I pulled back the foot that had just stepped out the door.
"He Xiuqi died in Changbai Mountain? He hasn't returned yet?"
"Is Madam feeling unwell?"
As soon as I asked that question, Xiaoman rushed over nervously with a cup of tea in her hand.
“I haven’t been feeling energetic lately and I keep thinking about sleeping. I’m thinking of asking him for something to perk me up.”
"The medicinal cuisine hall has plenty of herbs; the Great Protector can prepare some for you."
"Hmph, he's devoted to his master, he has no time to care about me."
"Madam is joking. You know that Protector Qiong is an orphan, sold into the Nangong family at a young age and raised alongside His Majesty. Their bond is no less than that of blood brothers. His Majesty cherishes you so much, so naturally the Great Protector does too..."