The Sinful Woman's Golden Branch: The Jade-Faced Yama is Actually Me (Chapter Thirty-Six...)

The climate in Los Angeles is warmer than in the north, but it is already covered in snow.

Li Siyin traveled directly from Yandu back to the capital by boat. The people of the capital were surprised by her sudden return and wanted to welcome her, but Li Siyin simply mounted her horse and headed to a certain place.

Since the Crown Prince came of age, Li Siyin had entrusted all state affairs to him and focused on the Northern Expedition.

She possessed both advanced warfare technology and advanced governance concepts. Every time she conquered a piece of land, even the local indigenous people did not want to rebel, and more and more people came to join her.

Dayu is not xenophobic. Those who believe in the Goddess of Wushan are considered Dayu people, who share Dayu obligations and benefits.

The Rong and Hu tribes that once plagued the borders of Dayu were quickly assimilated by her. Dayu's borders are now different from before. With Yandu as the secondary capital, the Grand Canal was built, the Crown Prince resided in Luoyang, and she resided in Yandu.

She should have been in Yandu at that time, but because of a telegram, she rushed back to the capital.

Arriving at the familiar residence, she entered with practiced ease and found Ye Xiqing, dressed neatly, already waiting for her for some time.

Seeing that she looked exactly the same as usual, Li Siyin couldn't help but get angry: "What are you talking about? You're doing just fine!"

Ye Xiqing calmly looked at her: "A final burst of energy before death, do you understand? After this period, you'll die soon."

Li Siyin:......

She was making further strategic plans in Yandu when she heard Ye Xiqing calling her, telling her that she must return before sunset that day, as he was about to die.

Over the years, Li Siyin had witnessed countless near-death experiences with Ye Xiqing. Each time, seeing that things were about to end, people in her household would wail and call for her. Li Siyin would panic, thinking that the person was really going to die, and would rush over with the imperial physician.

As a result, the shamans of the Imperial Medical Academy worked hard and managed to revive him.

Although she didn't want Ye Xiqing to die, after being tricked like this several times, she felt a little sad when she heard the news that Ye Xiqing was critically ill.

This time, Ye Xiqing reported that he was critically ill again, and Li Siyin didn't want to care anymore. She told him to go to the Crown Prince if he needed anything, since she was already in Yandu!

But this time the situation was indeed different from the past. In the past, it was the people who served Ye Xiqing who reported the critical condition, but this time it was she who reported it herself.

For some reason, Li Siyin always had a feeling that if Ye Xiqing didn't say it, it would be fine, but if she did, it would definitely come true.

After a long and winding journey by carriage and boat from Yandu back to the capital, seeing her seemingly unaffected infuriated me.

If Ye Xiqing dares to play tricks on her like this, she'll make her pay!

Looking at her, Ye Xiqing knew what she was thinking and couldn't help but smile: "Don't be angry, I'm not lying to you, I really can't make it this time."

Li Siyin sneered: "Your previous attempts also seemed very convincing!"

Ye Xiqing honestly replied, "This time is different. This time, my time is up. Even if I am healthy and painless, Heaven will still take me away."

Although Li Siyin promoted witchcraft, she witnessed firsthand how witchcraft was born and did not believe in any gods, not even the goddess of Wushan.

He said irritably, "What do you mean by 'my time is up'? If you're sick, summon the imperial physician!"

Ye Xiqing couldn't help but laugh: "This time, there's really no way to save him."

"Your Majesty can understand it as, 'Your subordinate is a banished immortal who has committed a grave error and has been punished by Heaven, who has placed me in a sickly body to suffer the five ailments and three deficiencies of the human world.'"

"But even the heaviest punishment will eventually end and she will be released. When the Heavenly Mother gave the order, she showed no mercy, but when she saw her beloved daughter wasting her life in the mortal world, she felt pity for her."

"Now your subordinates have redeemed themselves through meritorious service and have been granted permission to return to heaven."

"The Heavenly Mother has granted me permission to bid farewell to the mortal world and accompany Your Majesty until sunset."

"The Heavenly Mother of Kunlun has three thousand celestial maidens under her throne, and I am in love with one of them."

"Now that they see that my tribulations have ended, they have opened the Heavenly Gate, with drums and music, to welcome me back."

"Above us now, the one in black is the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden, the one in blue is the Red Water Maiden, the one in green is the Green Mountain Warrior, the one in white is the Milky Way Weaver, and there are many more. It's a pity that humans and gods are different. Your Majesty is a mortal emperor with mortal eyes and cannot see them in person."

Li Siyin:......

She didn't know if Ye Xiqing was saying these nonsense to comfort her or if he was really about to ascend to heaven.

But since she said that, what she meant by the moment of parting at dusk must be true.

Li Wenyuan's genes are truly outstanding; she gave birth to five children and lived to the age of eighty-two. Li Siyin only had one child, so she was even more likely to live longer.

As a long-lived emperor, Li Siyin often experienced the passing of his loved ones.

Along the way, even Shangguan Lanyi couldn't hold on, only Ye Xiqing, who was frail and sickly, persevered for decades and stayed by her side until now, and now even she is about to leave...

The death of someone close to you is not something you can get used to, but Li Siyin is no longer the little girl who just cried her eyes out when her mother passed away.

It's unsightly for an adult to only cry, so she didn't show any sadness: "So, what are your plans for the end?"

Ye Xiqing thought for a moment and said indifferently, "What kind of funeral arrangements could I possibly have? I only have one title, so let's give it to Cheng'en. As for the Marquis's mansion... fine, fine, let's give it to the Crown Prince."

Li Siyin:......

Dayu has a tradition of screening for reproductive genes, not only for male partners but also for female partners.

Guan Xianzhi's body is absolutely unsuitable for childbirth. Who knew that someone so thin would develop cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in her old age!

In the instant the illness struck, Ye Xiqing was so angry she almost died, but fortunately, the Imperial Hospital was very efficient and saved her.

From then on, her health deteriorated further. The system looked at her and said, "Why don't you just die?"

Ye Xiqing resolutely refused, "No way!"

She wanted to see what other surprises this body had in store for her!

Despite suffering from a sudden cardiovascular disease that left her unable to move freely, Ye Xiqing persevered for another five years, making countless contributions to witchcraft medicine.

If the world doesn't restart, she'd like to donate her body for dissection; if it does, then forget it.

But Guan Xianzhi's genes shouldn't be passed down. If anyone wants to be reincarnated with this kind of body in their next life, it's everyone's responsibility to improve their reincarnation environment.

Because she had no children and did not want to have a second child, Wang Lijun adopted an orphan girl, who took Wang Lijun's surname and was named Wang Chengen.

Wang Lijun is long gone, and Ye Xiqing's only remaining nominal relative is Wang Chengen.

Their relationship is alright, and the title is just sitting idle anyway, so let's give it to her. As for this dilapidated family, if the Crown Prince wants it, he can give it to her too.

She slowly sat up and said, "I want to enjoy the snow with Your Majesty one last time."

In the small pavilion in the middle of the lake, the boiling tea stove struggles to swirl white steam in the heavy, cold air.

Ye Xiqing used to be in poor health, so she would always be bundled up tightly in winter and stay indoors to avoid catching a cold.

Now that I'm about to die, I don't care about so many things anymore. Of course, I want to experience the poetic and picturesque scene of the ancients enjoying the snow by the stove.

With the sun still far from setting, they couldn't just sit there idly, so they chatted casually, and eventually the conversation turned to their funeral arrangements.

Li Siyin looked at the opposite side: "Since you like the Goddess of Wushan so much, I will bury you in Wushan. I will have your grave planted with golden nanmu trees."

Ye Xiqing refused without hesitation: "I don't want Phoebe zhennan wood. Plant some jujube or apricot trees instead. When they bear fruit, they can be eaten by people, birds and animals. Consider it my blessing for them."

"If you plant so many fruit trees, wouldn't people be trampling on your grave every day?"

"Excuse my bluntness, but if I planted all of them with Phoebe zhennan trees, people would come to my grave every day to cut down trees."

Li Siyin:......

yes!

The cult of witches promoted tree burial, and Li Wenyuan was the last emperor to follow the old custom of lavish burial. In order to set an example, Li Siyin's own tomb did not adopt the old burial rites.

But with anything new, comparisons are inevitable, and tree burials are no exception.

At first, to save trouble, the poor planted pine trees, which were easy to grow and care for.

Later, some people became rich and felt that they couldn't be like the masses, so they planted a willow tree!

People who were richer than her saw this and thought, "This won't do. I'll plant fruit trees. They're not easy to grow, so they'll show off my wealth. Once the trees are grown, I can harvest fruit and increase my wealth!"

Those who are even richer feel they can't lower their standards, so I plant golden nanmu trees, which take hundreds of years to mature. My family doesn't care about short-term profits at all. Can anyone compare to us?

They kept competing and upgrading, each wanting to plant different trees to show off. How could the emperor lose? She wanted to plant a whole mountain of precious trees, such as agarwood, rosewood, and golden nanmu!

No one else can compare to her, especially the emperor; no one dares to compare with her.

The trees on her tomb were planted not long after she ascended the throne, and now, decades later, they have grown to a considerable size and are a beautiful sight from afar.

But now that I think about it, the trees she planted were all such precious varieties. If they had grown up, it would have been hard for her unworthy descendants not to make a decision that went against their ancestors' wishes!

Li Siyin was so angry that she stood up immediately: "Why didn't you remind me back then!"

Ye Xiqing: "You didn't ask me."

Li Siyin was always the most concerned about herself, and upon hearing this, she immediately jumped up and said, "Then I will issue an order that the trees on my burial mound must not be cut down by future generations!"

Ye Xiqing shook his head: "Then His Majesty probably can't make the decision."

“In ancient times, even if you forbade the emperor’s tomb to be robbed, it would still be robbed anyway, so what’s the use of issuing an order?”

"Why don't you be more generous and plant more fruit trees like me, and be happy to share?"

"In this way, future generations will be merciful to you because they have eaten your fruit. After you cut it down, they will plant it back for you."

"Might makes no power immortal; only the brilliance of humanity endures forever."

Li Siyin:......

Do I need to thank them?

So, when Ye Xiqing was supposed to die, Li Siyin remembered what would happen after her death.

He stared at the tea stove with a heavy expression: "Think about it carefully. It doesn't really matter if you die, but after I die, to whom will the affairs of state be passed on?"

Ye Xiqing: ...

"Your Majesty, if I may be so bold, you only have one child, the Crown Prince. Why are you still agonizing over who should be your heir?"

Li Siyin raised her chin: "I'm only angry because there's only one child. The Crown Prince is weak and completely incapable of shouldering great responsibilities!"

Ye Xiqing: ...

Why is the Crown Prince so cowardly? You haven't said a word about it...

Li Siyin had children very late.

As the emperor, she naturally cherished her life. Ye Xiqing had portrayed the damage caused by childbirth as too terrifying. She was unwilling to let her body be ruined by a child, nor was she willing to let her empire fall into the hands of others. Therefore, she decided to postpone having children.

Like crops, she only bears her last fruit when she is about to die; before that, she wants to enjoy her perfect life.

As for the possibility of risking having a daughter instead of a daughter, she doesn't consider that. If she wants a daughter, she'll definitely have one!

Therefore, Li Siyin was about the same age as her mother when she gave birth to her, and they had a daughter. Immediately after the birth, she was named Crown Prince.

Actually, when Li Siyin gave birth to the crown prince, it went quite smoothly.

A group of breeding officials screened the entire country, rigorously investigating her ancestors for eighteen generations, to select the youngest, most fertile, and highest quality gametes for her.

Having treated and delivered babies for numerous women in rural areas, this professional birthing specialist, honed over many years, follows her around every day, constantly monitoring her discomfort and reactions.

With her strong physique and daily prenatal exercises, she successfully gave birth naturally without much trouble, as smoothly as a hen laying an egg.

But childbirth is definitely painful, even if it's a smooth delivery.

Ten months of pregnancy is hard enough, but when has Li Siyin ever suffered such humiliation? It made her so angry she vomited!

If the crown prince had been born looking good, he might have been able to win back some of his mother's love.

As a result, when the prince was born, he was wrinkled and ugly, just like all newborn babies.

She went through so much trouble to give birth to such an ugly thing, and then she got so angry that she vomited. All three of the royal eggs were cut off, it must be because they didn't provide enough for the offspring!

Because of this, Li Siyin's mother doted on her, but she looked down on the Crown Prince.

As she grew older, her health inevitably declined.

Normally, her physical functions should be in their final stages. Many people her age in the common folk have already passed away. But of course, she wouldn't blame herself; it must be because she gave birth to the prince!

As an only child, the crown prince did receive all the resources from a young age, but he never received a kind word from his own mother.

If you don't do well in school from elementary to high school, you get scolded! If you fail a physical test, you get scolded! If you can't beat someone, you get scolded!

Even if nothing happens, she still has to find something to scold the Crown Prince.

The poor crown prince, at such a young age, bears pressure he shouldn't have to endure, running to Shangguan Lanyi every day.

Waaaaah! Teacher! The Queen Mother is too scary! I want you to be my mother!

Shangguan Lanyi: Huh? Your Highness! Please don't mess with this old minister!

It doesn't matter, though. If Li Siyin finds out, it will be the Crown Prince who gets scolded, since His Majesty is reluctant to scold his beloved minister.

However, Shangguan Lanyi was still quite miserable. On one hand, she had to worry about national affairs, and on the other hand, she had to help her mother take care of her unruly child. She couldn't withstand the mental and physical strain and passed away before the sickly Ye Xiqing.

As for why the Crown Prince didn't go to Ye Xiqing's place, when Ye Xiqing sat beside him with a sinister smile, he wasn't actually much better than Li Siyin...

Under such circumstances, how could the crown prince possibly stand tall in front of his mother? He would act like a mouse before a cat whenever he saw his mother.

After Li Siyin went to the secondary capital, the Crown Prince was completely liberated. He gathered everyone at home and celebrated for three days. Then Li Siyin found out and sent both telegrams and handwritten letters to scold him, making the Crown Prince, a grown man, cry.

The Crown Prince truly couldn't escape even if he wanted to, and he couldn't cry even if he wanted to. It was only because she was his own mother and daughter that Li Siyin was worried about the trees on her grave.

When his daughter was mentioned, Li Siyin was filled with disappointment: "My daughter is nothing like me. She is far inferior to the Prince of Yazhou!"

The Crown Prince of Yazhou is the child of Ji Feiyan, formerly known as Princess Yuzhen, who is now renamed Li Feiyan.

Their family was originally exiled to Lingnan, but later, when the south rebelled in their name, they were exiled to Yazhou, where they settled down. The swallow became a sea swallow.

Of course, the Crown Prince of Nankang would not fail to implicate Li Feiyan. Li Siyin knew perfectly well what she had done back then.

Therefore, when the lineage of Yazhou was later restored to its former glory, Li Siyin deliberately gave the title of prince to the eldest princess, Zhaoming.

Li Feiyan was truly furious. The court was too stable now, and she had no hope of rebelling while training the navy in Yazhou. She had thought that restoring her royal title would be fine, but Li Siyin pulled this trick on her!

Princess Zhaoming is a kind-hearted person who dotes on her younger sister. When she sees her sister angry, she immediately feels uneasy and promises to give the throne to her daughter in the future.

Li Feiyan, however, sent her daughter to the capital, telling her to be assertive and teach that mother and daughter in the capital a lesson!

Li Feiyan ambitiously sent her daughter to the capital, but she never expected that a tiger mother would give birth to a cat, and a wolf mother would give birth to a dog.

The young prince was raised by his aunt from a young age and received much guidance from her. Unlike his mother, he was not unruly and, like all young girls, he admired the emperor, who was a great and powerful ruler!

Not long after arriving in the capital, he won the favor of Li Siyin, who put aside past grievances and took him everywhere she went.

She so wished her daughter were like that, but when she opened her eyes, she had to face reality.

"Do you think it was that woman from Yazhou who used sorcery to switch my own daughter with her? The Crown Prince is nothing like me, but Lin'er is much more to my liking!"

Ye Xiqing: ...

Do you think being like you is a good thing?

But since it was all over now, Ye Xiqing decided to do something good for herself.

Turning her head to look at the horizon, Li Siyin was drawn to look as well. Dusk was approaching without them even realizing it.

According to Ye Xiqing, she would ascend to heaven when the sun set.

Li Siyin immediately turned her head and stared intently at Ye Xiqing. She wanted to see how she would get promoted!

Bathed in Li Siyin's rigorous and scientific gaze, Ye Xiqing smiled in the sunset.

"Your Majesty, the reason you are so worried about these things is simply because you know you will die."

"If it were my subordinate—"

"Can I grant you immortality?"