Chapter 67 The Beauty Kidnapped by the Queen 08

Born extraordinary, he refused to become an immortal at the age of three and attained Buddhahood in his physical body at the age of six.

"Yiqing, why don't you stay at my residence for now, instead of going back to the princess's mansion? That way, I'll have someone to look after you," Jiang Yuxiu said as she ate with Jiang Yiqing.

"Okay," Jiang Yiqing said. "Won't this trouble you, my elder sister?"

"What trouble? We're family. Don't say things like that again."

"Hmm." Jiang Yiqing hadn't expected things to go so smoothly. Her elder sister was truly wonderful; she had completely warmed her heart, which had been longing for her family, and she was beginning to feel a sense of returning home in this world.

But what happened was like a scar, lying across her heart, often leaving her in a daze. Was Wanqi Yanjing just a trial at the beginning of her transmigration? Why, even after leaving the Qin Kingdom, did that woman's face still appear in her mind? Her touch and her words were like the whispers of a demon, lingering in her heart.

Seeing that she didn't look well, Jiang Yuxiu suggested, "Yiqing, in order to welcome you back and cleanse your home, I've decided to invite a Taoist priest from the Three Saints Temple to perform a ritual to ward off evil spirits for you. What do you think?"

At this point, all that could be done was rely on metaphysics, hoping that it was just the negative psychological effect brought on by Wanqi Yanjing's magic. Jiang Yiqing said, "Okay, whatever you say, Imperial Sister, Yiqing will do."

Jiang Yuxiu's heart softened. This was indeed her Yiqing. Even though she rarely showed kindness to others, she always treated her as her closest confidante. This younger sister was the one she could least bear to part with in this world. Jiang Yuxiu would fight with everything she had to make those who hurt her pay the price. For this, she had to ascend the throne.

"By the way, Your Highness, could you please find a tutor to teach me some knowledge? I have nothing to do at the moment and would like to broaden my horizons," Jiang Yiqing said.

“Yiqing, you used to hate having those pedantic scholars around you, but now that you’ve come to your senses, I’ll find you a good teacher.”

Jiang Yiqing was not very familiar with this world and wanted to learn more from her teacher. On the other hand, she also needed to meet some new people to diminish Wan Qiyanjing's influence on her.

Princess Anxu's return to the court immediately alarmed the imperial court. The Empress originally intended to summon Jiang Yiqing to the palace for an audience, but Jiang Yuxiu informed the Empress that Princess Anxu had suffered a fright while traveling and was still recuperating at home. The Empress then relented, and to express her condolences, bestowed many gifts upon her. In this battle against the Qin Kingdom, the Zhai Kingdom suffered a crushing defeat, and the returning soldiers were all criticized. Princess Anxu, however, became the only one whom the Emperor comforted in this matter.

The Empress instructed her officials to publicly declare that Princess Anxu had been abducted and held hostage by Wanqiyan Jing through improper means. Furthermore, Wanqiyan Jing's unilateral instigation of war was a grave disregard for the dignity of the Zhai Kingdom. The Zhai Kingdom's defeat was due to inadequate preparation. The Empress intended to place the Qin Kingdom in an unjust position to mitigate the negative impact of the war on her own country.

The Taoist priest of the Three Saints Temple was the famous Master Qiyun of the Zhai Kingdom. She was also a direct disciple of the Langhuan Immortal Mansion, the guardian immortal sect of the Zhai Kingdom. On the day she arrived at the Third Princess's Mansion, many curious people from the capital flocked to visit, crowding the entrance of the Princess's Mansion.

The disciples of the Three Saints Temple set up a ritual altar at the residence of the Three Princesses. Incense burners, bells of the Three Pure Ones, prayer tablets, command flags and other ritual implements were placed on the table. The red carpet on the ground was painted with the Eight Trigrams and cloud patterns. The disciples stood to serve incense and lamps. Five-directional banners were hung around the area, and Jiang Yiqing's natal lamp and the Twelve Zodiac Lamps were also set up.

Master Qiyun, dressed in her ceremonial robes, personally presided over the ceremony. Holding ritual implements, she chanted incantations to invoke the gods and burned the petition for Jiang Yiqing's well-being. Her sacred appearance captivated everyone present.

After the ceremony ended, the altar was put away.

“There are no spells or magic affecting the princess, so the Third Princess can rest assured.” Qi Yun raised her whisk, her bright eyes looking at Jiang Yiqing. There was something she didn’t say, but she said, “She is currently in a state of unease. She must have been frightened outside. With some calming medicine and more rest, she should be able to recover in time.”

"I understand." Jiang Yuxiu nudged Jiang Yiqing's hand.

Jiang Yiqing then bowed to Master Qiyun and said, "Anxu thanks Master Qiyun for his guidance."

"I wouldn't presume to offer guidance, but could you please speak to me privately?"

"Please come in quickly," Jiang Yuxiu said.

Jiang Yuxiu invited Master Qiyun into the main hall and dismissed all the servants, leaving only the three of them present.

"Is there something strange on the princess's body?" Master Qiyun asked.

"What foreign object?" The Third Princess looked at Jiang Yiqing in surprise.

Jiang Yiqing rummaged through her sachet and pouch, but found nothing. Then she remembered that the master might be referring to the strange bone pendant she had obtained from Wan Qiyan Jing. But she had pledged it to the system and couldn't retrieve it. How could the master have noticed?

"The master is referring to the Extraordinary Bone Jade Pendant," Jiang Yiqing said.

"The Extraordinary Bone Jade Pendant?!" Qi Yun couldn't help but turn pale, saying, "Is it the national treasure of the Qin Kingdom? Has the princess touched this object?"

Jiang Yiqing didn't know how to explain, so she just nodded vaguely.

"This item was made from the immortal bones of the former emperor of the Qin Kingdom. It possesses the power of past lives. Touching it is like touching karma, and it will inevitably lead you into a series of incomprehensible entanglements. If that is the case, I'm afraid today's ritual is not enough to cleanse the princess of the karmic power on her. The princess can try the Cleansing Heart Pool in the palace. The Cleansing Heart Pool is a precious treasure set up by the Langhuan Immortal Mansion, and it is also filled with the blessings of the former emperors of the Zhai Kingdom for their descendants."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuxiu realized that this was no small matter and said, "I will inform His Majesty immediately and have Yiqing go to the Cleansing Heart Pool."

"Then I shall take my leave." Master Qiyun said, his brows furrowed slightly, as if he were preoccupied with something.

"Please take care, Master."

The two escorted Master Qiyun out of the main gate. Jiang Yiqing was also unsettled by her words. The Strange Bone Jade Pendant actually possessed such strange power? No wonder Wan Qiyan Jing's expression was so unpleasant when she left. But what to do now? Although the Strange Bone Jade Pendant wasn't on her, it was as if it were. It seemed she had to return it to Wan Qiyan Jing, otherwise the already tense relationship between the two countries would completely break down.

At this moment, inside the royal palace of the Qin Kingdom.

"Your Majesty, on the day of your birth, I saw purple clouds coming from the east, and now I see a phoenix flying south," the Imperial Astronomical Bureau said to Wanqi Yanjing.

What is the symbolism behind the phoenix flying south?

"The phoenix is ​​our national totem, and the south is the land of the Di Kingdom. This is not an auspicious sign," said the Imperial Astronomical Bureau. "If this happens, it will be a sign of the downfall of the nation."

"A sign of national ruin? Is it really that easy for a country to perish?" Wan Qiyan chuckled lightly, his imposing presence radiating authority without anger.

"Your subject is guilty." The Imperial Astronomical Bureau immediately knelt down: "But the omens indicate that it is indeed so."

Wanqi Yanjing did not tell her about Jiang Yiqing taking the Yigu Langhua Pendant; the so-called "phoenix flying south" was merely because of this.

Rather than believing in celestial phenomena, Wanqi Yanjing trusted herself more. If the heavens were against her, she would destroy them.

"I have some business to attend to and will announce to the outside world that I will perform the Fengshan ceremony at Yunshan. The important affairs of the court have been entrusted to the Grand Tutor and others." Wanqi Yanjing said, "If there are any unusual developments, you must inform me immediately."

The Imperial Observatory official's lips trembled as he looked at her in astonishment. He never expected that Wanqi Yanjing, who had guarded the throne for more than twenty years, would one day secretly go out without telling anyone.

"—Yes, yes." The Imperial Observatory was full of doubts, but could not find the words to say. He could only say, "Your Majesty, I dare not disobey. I hope Your Majesty will take care of your health and behave yourself."

*

Jiang Yuxiu invited the top scholar of the court to be Jiang Yiqing's tutor. Jiang Yiqing had never seen such a grand occasion. It was as if returning to Qin Kingdom was returning to her own territory. With Jiang Yuxiu's favor, she became the happiest girl in the world. Now she felt that time travel wasn't so bad after all. If she couldn't go back, she could take the place of the original Jiang Yiqing and live a life of mutual support with her royal sister.

Ning Yinxi, the third-ranked scholar, volunteered to go to the Cleansing Pool in the palace with Jiang Yiqing.

During the journey, Jiang Yiqing asked her about the current state of the world.

"The world is now divided into four kingdoms: Huang in the east, Qin in the west, Di in the south, and Zhou in the north. Our Di kingdom has been a land of spiritual energy since ancient times, its spiritual power connecting to the Heavenly Palace of Langhuan. However, the gods in heaven rarely concern themselves with mortal affairs, but if it were up to them, they might very well unleash a natural disaster and destroy a kingdom, which would be nothing more than a flick of their fingers for them. There is only one exception, though. The current empress of Qin, Wanqi Yan Jing, was born on a day when purple qi appeared in the east, and it is said that she was a reincarnation of an immortal. When she was three years old, the Phoenix Map Heavenly Palace sent down immortals to invite her to ascend to heaven to cultivate, but Wanqi Yan Jing personally refused. This has made her spiritual progress vastly different from ordinary people, and it is no exaggeration to call her a cultivation genius."

The conversation unexpectedly turned to Wan Qiyanjing again. Jiang Yiqing couldn't help but ask, "Since she's so capable, why... did she encounter something terrible when she was young?"

Jiang Yiqing recalled the wounds she saw on her body. If she was a genius, why would she have ended up in such a state?

Ning Yinxi glanced at Jiang Yiqing and said, "Oh no, the princess is referring to the time when the Demonic Sect besieged the Qin Kingdom when she was five years old, right? Everyone knows about that incident."

"Um, tell me about it."

"In order to save the Qin Kingdom, her father handed her over to the demon's den. When Wanqi Yan Jing was six years old, she wiped out the demon cult. After she returned to the Qin Kingdom, she became somewhat violent and restless, and she hated men to the bone."

"Such a thing is true..."

Jiang Yiqing wanted to tell herself not to pity her, but hearing that she had encountered such a thing at the age of six, how lonely and helpless she must have been back then, made her feel that she wasn't so unlucky after all. However, this was no excuse for her kidnapping her. Wan Qiyanjing's arrogant and conceited personality was probably due to her childhood experiences.

“Although we don’t know what Wanqi Yanjing encountered in the Demonic Sect, the number of mysteriously disappearing children in the four kingdoms decreased significantly after that,” Ning Yinxi said. “So, although it’s quite absurd, the kingdoms still worship Wanqi Yanjing as a goddess who protects children. In the common people’s eyes, she is not an empress, but a child who is worshipped and given the name ‘Jing Nu’.”

"...Born extraordinary, refused to become an immortal at three, and achieved Buddhahood in the physical body at six—you mean—Wanqi Yanjing is actually that amazing?!" Jiang Yiqing tried her best to keep her expression from being too exaggerated, but she couldn't help but break down: "Is that the Wanqi Yanjing I know?"

“…Princess, you’re right, she is indeed that powerful. If we have no other choice, we don’t want to go to war with her.” Ning Yinxi asked, “Then what kind of person is Wanqi Yanjing in your impression of me? I heard that she brought you into the palace. Our nobles are quite gossipy about this. Could you reveal a little about her?”

"..." Jiang Yiqing remained silent, her face turning red.

What's going on? Wan Qiyan Jing put on an 18+ scene in front of her, but in front of others he's all sacred?

She couldn't hold it in any longer.

No, she shouldn't romanticize her image too much. No matter how impressive her facade, isn't she still just a sex offender?