Crazy men and women

On the day of the ancestral worship ceremony, Shangguan Zhi transformed into his appearance and completed the ceremony.

The dragon robe was extremely heavy, especially the crown, which pressed down on her forehead, leaving a bruise and mark.

"Come here, let me take a look."

"I don't want to." She bent down and stood in front of the bronze mirror, examining the makeup on her face.

Seeing that she didn't move, Li Zhuo was about to get up. It was a pity that he was just getting better, but now he had to put himself through all that trouble again.

Hearing the noise, Shangguan Zhi pressed down on his chest and pushed him back down.

"Stop, you should just lie down."

In the past, such behavior would have certainly drawn a stern rebuke from Li Zhuo, who would have called it insolent and audacious.

Accustomed to her unrestrained behavior, they unconsciously forgot their respective identities. Li Zhuo rarely spoke harshly to her, and always addressed her as "I" or similar titles.

"Thank you."

Li Zhuo's face was pale, her lips were as white as wax, and her eyes were sunken. Even though her appearance had faded due to illness, she was still a beauty in sickness.

Faced with the thanks, Shangguan Zhi was in turmoil and remained silent for a moment.

"Azhi, come for a walk with me."

She helped him walk along the pebbly path in the Imperial Garden. She did not use any magic and calmly entered the flowerbed.

With her support, Li Zhuo managed to take a few steps. The autumn scenery was bleak, but the palace servants somehow managed to keep the Imperial Garden warm as ever.

A cold wind picked up, and Li Zhuo couldn't stop coughing. Just as Shangguan Zhi was about to cast a spell, he stopped her.

Since he wouldn't allow it, she took off her cloak and tied it on for him.

As they walked, Li Zhuo became preoccupied with worries about what would happen to him after his death. Shangguan Zhi angrily retorted, "Anyway, I won't be collecting your corpse."

“You are free by nature, I have nothing to worry about.” Li Zhuo looked at her, as if he was thinking of someone through her, “My poor princess.”

“She lost her mother when she was young and only had me, her good-for-nothing father.”

Princess Li Zhuo's favor was something Shangguan Zhi thought was because she resembled her birth mother, the late empress.

So she asked, "Does the princess resemble her mother?"

“I have no feelings for her mother, and I had never even met her before the wedding.”

The princess's birth mother was a princess from another country. The two countries had diplomatic relations, but the marriage was solely for political reasons. Marriages with political factors involved are never ideal.

So that's how it is. She thought Li Zhuo rejected her only because he missed the Empress. Now that she thinks about it, Li Zhuo is no ordinary mortal.

This was the first time she had offered words of comfort: "What's there to worry about? Since you're afraid she won't have a good life in the future, just arrange a marriage for her with a good husband. Even if the princess doesn't want to get married, just give her enough money to settle down and live a life free from worries about food and clothing. That would be good enough."

Shangguan Zhi genuinely believed that Li Zhuo was a good emperor and a good father, and spoke without regard for her own status.

“These words should be said by her mother.” Li Zhuo stared at her intently, his eyelashes curled, his eyes a deep brown, as clear as amber.

Under his affectionate gaze, Shangguan Zhi blushed instantly, turned away in tears, and walked away on her own.

As she walked, she said, "Don't misunderstand, I was just saying it offhand."

As a princess, with her father being the emperor and her brother who will ascend the throne in the future, she is second only to the emperor. Born into a noble family, as long as she doesn't commit any capital offenses, she will never have to suffer in her life.

Li Zhuo's concerns were completely unfounded.

Shangguan Zhi walked away, but Li Zhuo didn't follow. She turned around and saw that Li Zhuo had already fallen to the ground.

"Li Zhuo—" She strode forward and knelt down beside Li Zhuo, reaching out to check his breath; a warm current flowed from the tip of his nose.

He withdrew his hand, and beads of blood slid down his slender, jade-like fingertips.

Why would he vomit blood? Li Zhuo is already getting better. Could it be that he didn't take his medicine properly and was lying to her?

"I will not let you die," she said solemnly, sitting cross-legged and clasping her hands together in a mudra.

She forcefully cast a spell, and a strong wind arose in the Imperial Garden. A beautiful bead was taken from her dantian, and the power of the fox demon gradually flowed into it. Li Zhuo, who was lying motionless on the ground, gradually regained the strength to struggle.

The magic continued to flow into Li Zhuo's body. Li Zhuo opened his eyes and used all his strength.

"That's great." Shangguan Zhi was exhausted, her voice light and airy. It turned out that being sick as a mortal could be this tiring.

Li Zhuo watched as she fell to the ground, her human form dissipating and transforming into a small, maple-colored fox.

Palace servants rushed over upon hearing the news, only to see a beautiful little fox slip away from the emperor.

News of the emperor being injured by a fox spirit spread like wildfire.

In the imperial court, Li Zhuo recovered from his illness, and all the officials jointly petitioned to kill the fox demon. The crown prince invited a Taoist master from an unknown place. The master was known as the Mysterious Immortal and said with just one glance, "A thousand-year-old fox demon."

The real person was absolutely right, and then added, "There's another one in the princess's residence."

Li Zhuo overruled the objections of the crowd and ordered Xuanmiao Zhenren to step down. When the news reached the princess's residence, the princess disregarded all obstruction and rushed into the court. Pointing at Xuanmiao Zhenren, she said, "These heretical words are misleading the public. Father should kill this sorcerer to quell the rumors in the palace."

"Her Highness the Princess possesses a beauty that could shame the moon and flowers, yet her speech is utterly indescribable." The implication is that she speaks harshly and is like a shrew from the marketplace.

"I have said that the fox spirit is an auspicious sign. It saved me. I have recovered from my illness. How can you say that it harmed me?" Li Zhuo turned his back, the dragon-patterned cuffs of his sleeves swirling in an arc. "If anyone brings this up again, do not blame me for being ruthless."

After leaving the court, the officials respectfully saw him off. The crown prince glared at the princess with resentment and then left the hall with the Mysterious Immortal.

All the officials bowed in unison.

"Your Highness, let's just drop this matter." Xuanmiao followed behind, descending the white marble steps.

The Crown Prince turned around, frowning. "Why should we let it go? Father has been bewitched by the fox spirit and lost his mind. Even my younger sister has become unreasonable. How can we let it go?" The Crown Prince was indignant and took small steps forward.

"Just now in the palace, His Majesty was very pleased with this matter. It would be bad if it damaged our father-son relationship."

"One day Father will understand." He and Xuanmiao stopped in a long corridor, with mountains and rivers stretching to the left and right. A group of palace maids passed by, bowed, and the Crown Prince nodded.

"This matter cannot be left unresolved."

"Your Highness means..." Xuanmiao narrowed his eyes, his fake smile subtle.

......

Shangguan Zhi's vital energy was damaged, and she could no longer maintain her human form. No one knew who had laid a trap in the palace, but she was unable to escape.

She hid in a cold palace, only daring to sneak out at midnight to absorb the life essence from the guards.

After recuperating for some time and finally regaining her human form, she was going to find Li Zhuo to demand an explanation.

Why are there demon-catching formations and talismans everywhere in this palace? She clearly saved him, but now he wants to kill her.

Based on her understanding of Li Zhuo, she knew that Li Zhuo was not the kind of person who would go to extremes, so there must be some misunderstanding.

The Golden Palace was brightly lit by candlelight. A young eunuch was drugged and tricked into revealing secrets through sorcery.

Li Zhuo has been reviewing memorials in the Golden Palace for the past few days without sleep. When the imperial eunuchs tried to persuade him, they were severely reprimanded.

A cold wind blew open the pages of the books on the table, and the yellowed pages rustled softly.

Li Zhuo stood at the desk with his head down. His large cloak could not cover his sunken collarbone, and the cuffs revealed a section of his wrist with clearly defined knuckles, suggesting that he had lost a lot of weight.

The eunuch in the hall suddenly went limp and quietly collapsed to the ground, then walked freely into the hall. No wonder he didn't respond to her signal; he had fallen asleep.

"Li Zhuo?" She stepped forward and gave him a push. His body under the fabric was so thin. By the time Shangguan Zhi understood what had happened, it was too late.

Li Zhuo, who was sitting at the table, looked up and met her gaze. Her features were somewhat similar to Li Zhuo's, but she was not Li Zhuo.

“A monster,” the crown prince said, and at the same time, the magic array descended.

Xuanmiao appeared outside the door at some point, saying, "Fortunately, there is a magic array set up by our predecessors in this hall, which is why we were able to capture the fox demon alive."

Shangguan Zhi didn't care about her own life or death; instead, she anxiously asked, "Where is Li Zhuo?"

"How dare you mention Father Emperor?! If it weren't for you, how could Father Emperor have fallen ill and never recovered?!" the Crown Prince demanded sharply, the atmosphere in the hall as cold as an ice cellar. "Kill her!"

Xuanmiao received the order and immediately took action.

The formation contains forty-nine karmic fires, capable of burning demons to ashes.

Shangguan Zhi was suppressed and unable to move an inch, and the fire snakes spread out like writhing serpents.

As the temperature rose, the sweat forced out by the intense heat blurred her vision, causing unbearable pain. Shangguan Zhi reverted to her original form to avoid being burned to death by the flames.

It was so hot that she cried out.

Hearing the commotion from his bedchamber, Li Zhuo rushed into the Golden Palace in his nightgown. Inside, Shangguan Zhi was burning to death amidst the flames.

"Stop—" he shouted sternly.

"Father Emperor—" The Crown Prince's ruthless expression immediately turned to astonishment.

"I told you to stop—"

Xuanmiao continued casting the spell, saying, "Your Majesty, once the magic array is activated, it cannot be stopped."

Li Zhuo disregarded everything and plunged alone into the sea of ​​fire. The Crown Prince, still in shock, cried out, "Father—"

"stop!!!"

The mysterious situation remained calm and unperturbed, leaving no choice but to withdraw.

But it was too late. Li Zhuo hugged Shangguan Zhi, trying his best to keep her from being affected by the flames.

When Shangguan Zhi opened her eyes, she found herself unharmed. The hem of her clothes had been burned to charcoal by the karmic fire, leaving only her undergarments.

Li Zhuo was a mortal with a completely burned soul, making reincarnation impossible.

"Li Zhuo?" Shangguan Zhi murmured, reaching out in disbelief to cup Li Zhuo's swaying head.

"I told you I wouldn't let you die." Shangguan Zhi hugged his body, even though the body was almost unrecognizable, blackened to a charred state.

She picked up Li Zhuo and was about to leave.

"Stop! Where are you taking my father?!"

"Xuanmiao, stop her!" the Crown Prince ordered coldly, determined to take Shangguan Zhi's life.

"What is Your Majesty doing?" The princess's voice came from outside the palace. Beside her stood a man who, judging from his attire and appearance, seemed to be a sorcerer.

"Father is dead. You killed him," the princess said coldly, moving closer to the palace.

"Shut up--"

The princess's appearance gave Shangguan Zhi the possibility of leaving, and she flew away from the palace safely with Li Zhuo.

Arriving at a mountain cave, she channeled her inner energy and cast a spell, injecting all her cultivation and demon core into Li Zhuo's body.

Just as they were about to succeed, a lightning bolt struck outside the cave, and the sacrifice was in vain.

She didn't believe in fate. Li Zhuo protected her risking his life. Her life was given to her by Li Zhuo, and she couldn't let Li Zhuo die no matter what.

The lightning struck down, hitting the ground outside the cave, and the big tree was split into pieces.

She defied fate and angered the heavens, resulting in divine punishment.

A bolt of lightning struck the cave, reverting Shangguan Zhi to her original form, while Li Zhuo vanished into thin air.

Hearing the commotion, Yin Lanxin, who was passing by, picked up the badly injured fox demon.

Sighing, "Foolish men and resentful women."