Chapter 141 Arranged Marriage "Can I go to Kunlun with you?"...

After listening to Ji Qiu'an's story, Jiang Yuhu remembered that there was indeed a boy in the dilapidated temple. After she killed someone, she was puzzled by the merman murals on the wall, and it was he who told her what they were.

Seeing that her eyes gradually understood, Ji Qiu'an smiled and revealed a tiger tooth, "Jiang Xianjun, you saved my life before, and I've come to repay your kindness."

Upon hearing the words "repaying kindness," the girl who had been listening quietly in his arms suddenly became interested. Her eyes were red, clearly from crying, but now she looked him up and down. "How are you going to repay my aunt's kindness? By serving her like a slave, or by offering yourself to her?"

Ji Qiu'an was stunned upon hearing this, and then his whole body seemed to burn up, his face turning red to his neck, and he stammered for a long time without being able to speak.

He would naturally do anything for her, even offer himself in return... he should... he should be able to.

Jiang Yuhuo looked somewhat troubled and shook his head, saying, "No need. It's not that I'm trying to save anyone; it's just for revenge."

She was telling the truth. She went to kill someone that night, and had no idea that the group had tricked another group of children into going there.

Ji Qiu'an felt a sudden choke. She seemed... even less articulate than him, instantly erasing the immense kindness she had shown him with a single sentence. If it were an ordinary person, they would probably have truly accepted that they owed her nothing.

But Ji Qiu'an is not.

He had finally found her, and he would never back down because of a few words from her.

…

The Western Capital, the Imperial Palace.

Jiang Yuhuo landed back on the ground with Xiao Jing. A barrier had been set up above the palace, and she planned to go through the main gate.

but……

She turned and glanced at the young cultivator following behind her. "Sir, are you also going to the palace?"

When she suddenly asked her, Ji Qiu'an's face immediately turned red. "Oh right, I also want to go to the palace, to the palace... um, to visit my uncle. That's right, my uncle happens to be working in the palace."

Xiao Jing asked curiously, "Who is your uncle?"

Ji Qiu'an replied, "My uncle's original name was Ji Sidao. Later, he became loyal to the Zhou dynasty and changed his name to Zhou Sidao."

"Ah, so you're Master Zhou's nephew. You should have said so sooner. Master Zhou has been with me since I was a child, and we have a very good relationship."

Xiao Jing waved to him, "Let's go in together."

Ji Qiu'an then realized her identity and bowed to her, saying, "Thank you, Your Highness."

The palace guards were very familiar with the princess's face and opened the palace gates to greet her from afar. However, when they saw the woman beside the princess, they couldn't help but feel puzzled and surprised.

Isn't that... isn't that Her Highness the Eldest Princess?

The return of the little princess who had run away was already enough to keep the palace busy for a while, but then the little princess also brought back the eldest princess who had been dead for many years, turning the entire palace into chaos.

A tall, burly man hurried out of the main hall and quickly pulled the small, dark figure into his arms.

"My son, you've made your father search for you so hard."

The person who came was not old, but he seemed to be shedding tears.

"Quickly, let Father see if you're injured anywhere." He turned the boy around in his hands, examining him from head to toe. "My son has lost weight. You must have suffered a lot outside. Don't run around like that anymore. Nothing outside is as good as the palace..."

Seeing that he was about to start rambling again, Xiao Jing quickly interrupted him, taking a smug step back, "Father, look who I brought back."

The man looked behind his daughter and saw a person with the exact same face as his sister. He had heard the palace servants report this earlier, but he hadn't believed it. Now, seeing it with his own eyes, even the emperor was astonished.

"Hongyu..."

The man was also looking at him, but did not answer.

Upon a second glance, the emperor noticed that although the man looked the same, his expression was completely different. His sister was gentle and mild-mannered, and had never had such a cold and composed gaze.

Most importantly, his sister had already passed away.

"Who are you?"

The woman bowed to him, saying, "Jiang Yuhuo, a disciple of Kunlun Mountain, is escorting Her Highness the Princess back to the palace."

"Father, what are you saying? She's my aunt."

"Yes, it is the Princess who has returned. His Majesty should be happy."

A gentle voice cut in from the side. The newcomer was dressed in a blue robe, his age was unknown, and he appeared only to be gentle and refined.

"Master Zhou!" Before the person even arrived, the little princess couldn't wait to go over and proudly boasted, "Master Zhou, my aunt is even more powerful than you now. She taught me so many magic tricks."

"Is that so? Then Your Highness is becoming more and more powerful." The blue-robed Taoist smiled and patted Xiao Jing's head. Then he smiled at Jiang Yuhuo and said politely, "Your Highness, I have long admired the name of Kunlun Mountain. I never thought that Your Highness would have the opportunity to become a disciple of Kunlun. If Your Highness would not mind, I hope that Your Highness can give me some guidance in the future."

Jiang Yuhu frowned. She had heard the name Master Zhou countless times from Xiao Jing. He was Xiao Jing's tutor and also presided over some royal rituals. He was both the current head of the Xuanji Pavilion and a royal priest. She was somewhat puzzled. Even a mortal like the emperor could recognize her as an imposter, so how could this person not see it?

Jiang Yuhuo said calmly, "I dare not instruct the Ji family of the Immortal Sect."

A hint of surprise flashed across Zhou Sidao's eyes, then he heard someone call softly from behind, "Uncle..."

Turning around, one sees a handsome young man. He looks unfamiliar, but his clothes are embroidered with cypress wood patterns. And the cypress wood pattern is the clan emblem of the Ji family of the Immortal Sect.

Ji Qiu'an blushed, seeing that his uncle seemed not to recognize him, and immediately took the initiative to introduce himself, "Uncle, it's been a long time. This junior, Qiu'an, has come to visit you."

Zhou Sidao understood the meaning of the name immediately.

He was indeed his nephew, but he had only heard of him by name and never seen him.

As for the visit... he glanced between his nephew and the princess, but said nothing.

*

Jiang Yuhuo only stayed in the palace for one day. Xiao Jing dragged her around the palace all day, not even paying attention to the Empress making new clothes and shoes for her. Xiao Jing chattered on and on about all the changes, big and small, in the palace over the years, wishing that her aunt could make up for all the missing years in one day.

Jiang Yuhuo let her lead him and followed behind, listening carefully.

Jiang Yuhuo already knew that there was a group of spirit-summoning trees in the Zhou Palace. These trees had remained undisturbed, untouched, so she hadn't bothered to check on them. Now that she was here, she couldn't help but take a look.

Passing around a low-hanging palace wall, one can see a pool of greenish-blue water, with black wood lying haphazardly at the bottom, which at first glance looks like rotten wood dumped there many years ago. But as soon as one's spiritual energy touches the water's surface, one can feel the seal placed on it.

The seal is incredibly powerful; no wonder such a magical artifact has never been touched by anyone in the mortal realm.

Jiang Yuhuo asked, "Is there anyone in charge of this pond?"

“Yes, it’s right there.” Xiao Jing pointed to the opposite side, where a high platform pavilion was built on the edge of the pond. “That’s Xuanji Pavilion.”

Jiang Yuhuo stared intently and saw Ji Qiu'an's figure inside. The other party had obviously seen her as well, and almost instantly, the young man landed in front of her.

"Jiang Xianjun, Your Highness, what a coincidence, we meet again." Ji Qiu'an smiled brightly, her joy evident in her eyes and brows.

"Does the Immortal Lord like the waterside? We met by the river yesterday." His face was slightly flushed, and his eyes shifted away slightly. "There is a clear river in the city, where floating lanterns illuminate the water at night, which is very beautiful... If the Immortal Lord does not mind, may I invite the Immortal Lord to enjoy the lanterns together?"

Jiang Yuhuo's gaze lingered on Ji Qiu'an's face for a moment, and that fair face visibly turned even redder.

She was puzzled. He seemed uncomfortable every time he saw her, so why didn't he stay away from her?

"No need, I will return to Kunlun tomorrow."

Ji Qiu'an was startled and looked at her abruptly. Seeing that she was calm and didn't seem to be joking, the boy lowered his head. "You left so soon..."

Jiang Yuhu hummed in agreement and was about to move when the previously dejected boy suddenly looked up, his gaze piercing. "Can I go to Kunlun with you?"

*

That night, Jiang Yuhu stayed in Ji Hongyu's former bedroom. She was meditating and regulating her breathing, but she fell asleep shortly after closing her eyes.

A cool breeze arrived, and in her dream, she seemed to have returned to the waters of the Moyu River. The rushing water roared in her ears, isolating her from everything outside, leaving only the boundless water. She lost her footing and fell heavily downwards.

Something touched her lips, gently, like a feather, cool, like a handful of water. The cool water seemed to seep into her body, suppressing the restlessness in her blood, making her so comfortable that she didn't want to wake up.

Jiang Yuhuo slept soundly until someone knocked on her door.

She suddenly awoke from her dream, instinctively trying to grasp the essence of it. In the vast bedchamber, she was alone, with only the sound of knocking on the door.

"What's wrong?" Jiang Yuhuo opened the door and saw a palace maid with an anxious expression.

The palace maid hurriedly said, "Your Highness, something's wrong! The Princess has been calling for you. His Majesty requests your presence."

Xiao Jing has a fever, and she is delirious from the fever. She lies on the tatami mat and can only vaguely call out for her aunt.

The palace servants said that the little princess had a fever all night, and the imperial physician had already prescribed medicine and fed her a bowl of it, but it didn't seem to have much effect.

Jiang Yuhuo probed inside with her spiritual power while asking everyone the reason, since they were perfectly fine before they parted last night.

The palace servants dared not speak, only daring to steal a glance at the emperor sitting to the side. The emperor's gentle eyes were now filled with sorrow as he tightly held his daughter's weak hand.

The Empress replaced the damp cloth on her daughter's forehead with a new one, the heat of which made her heart ache. "If Your Majesty won't speak, then I will."

"Hongyu..."

Before the empress could finish speaking, the unconscious person on the bed began to murmur.

"I don't want an arranged marriage... I don't want to get married..."

"Waaah... Auntie... don't go."

The sound was extremely low and indistinct, like a cat's meow, but Jiang Yuhuo still understood it.

The Empress touched the corner of her eye with a handkerchief. "The envoy sent to Yanling yesterday returned and said that the Li family had agreed to the marriage alliance. I don't know how Yujing heard about it so quickly, and he fell ill as soon as he returned."

She looked at Jiang Yuhuo, tears welling in her eyes, "Your Majesty and I only have one daughter, Yujing."

A short while later, Zhou Sidao arrived. He glanced at the situation inside the hall and then bowed deeply to Jiang Yuhuo, "May I ask Your Highness to speak with me in private?"

The two arrived under the eaves.

Standing outside the hall was a man who looked like a civil official. He stood upright with his head slightly lowered, displaying an upright and respectful demeanor.

Jiang Yuhuo glanced at the man, who seemed to have been standing there for a long time, but the emperor still did not allow him to enter the palace.

Zhou Si said, "That is the Prime Minister, and one of the court officials who strongly advocated this marriage alliance."

"Her Highness the Princess has been away for many years and is unaware of many things."

Zhou Sidao said a lot, and Jiang Yuhuo listened to him word by word. She saw the morning dew still clinging to the railing, and the chill was getting stronger day by day.

Winter is coming.

After moving its capital to the western capital, the Great Yong Dynasty never relinquished its ambition to annex the Great Zhou Dynasty. Previously, internal and border troubles had tied up its forces, allowing the Great Zhou to survive in the northwest. However, in recent years, with the Great Yong's situation stabilizing, it has gradually increased its troop deployments along the Zhou-Yong border, clearly losing patience. Especially recently, the Yong army has amassed on the border, and war is imminent. The Great Zhou is now in a life-or-death situation.

In the past, it was the people of the Immortal Sect who saved this country once, and this time, the only help they can seek is from the Immortal Sect.

Among the immortal sects, the two great immortal mountains, especially Kunlun, had long ago sworn an oath not to interfere in human affairs. Thus, only three powerful families remained, with the Li family being the most prominent, and their alliance based on marriage. Even with countless strategists offering advice and plans, the crumbling nation ultimately had only one path left: marrying off a princess.

Jiang Yuhuo vaguely understood that the look the Empress had given her in the palace just now was not a statement, but a mother pleading for help.

"...Marriage and alliance mean that the two are now bound together. With the support of the Zhou royal family, the Li family will have a smooth path to immortality, and the Zhou royal family will be able to resist the attacks of the Great Yong with the help of the Li family. Although His Majesty is well aware of the exchange of benefits involved, the Li family will certainly not sacrifice itself for the Ji family like that Kunlun immortal did back then. But with the protection of the immortal sects, the Great Zhou can at least survive."

The dawn had broken through the clouds, the morning dew on the railings had dissipated, and the morning bell rang from the nearby clock tower.

This should have been another peaceful and tranquil day in the Western Capital.

"So, Mr. Zhou wants to persuade me to arrange a marriage for Xiao Jing."

This time, Zhou Sidao remained silent, which was taken as an admission.

Jiang Yuhuo looked at the wind chimes on the eaves of the palace and murmured, as if sighing.

"Mr. Zhou should know that I am not Ji Hongyu."