Chapter 157 Awakening Half the City
After wandering around outside for most of the day, Shang Yin returned to the Zhao residence when it was almost time.
The Zhao residence was bustling with activity today, with the main gate wide open and guests filling the house.
The Dowager Princess has been back in the capital for several days now, and the Zhao family's relatives and friends have already sent their visiting cards, wanting to come to the residence to pay their respects to the Dowager Princess of the Northern Wilderness. Since the Dowager Princess cannot meet everyone individually, the Zhao family has chosen to hold a banquet for guests today.
Of course, some of them genuinely wanted to pay their respects to the Dowager Princess, but more importantly, they had learned that the Dowager Princess of the Northern Wilderness King was returning to the capital this time with the intention of selecting a consort for the Northern Wilderness King.
The news struck like a thunderbolt, shaking almost the entire capital.
Although the Xiling Prince's Mansion was recently uprooted, if one were cautious enough, one should not get too close to these princes who are suspected by the emperor. However, people always have a sense of wishful thinking.
What if?
The emperor has only just moved against Xiling, so he won't easily move against Beihuang anytime soon. The Beihuang Royal Palace has stood strong in Beihuang for many years and is still thriving. It can be said to have absolute power in Beihuang. The Beihuang King is young and promising and holds great power. If given the chance, who wouldn't want to become the Beihuang Royal Princess?
The Zhao family's spring banquet this time was truly lively and extraordinary. The young ladies who came to the banquet, even those from the lowest social standing, were from families of officials of the third rank.
Those whose families held a title, at least a marquis, would not be looked down upon.
Shang Yin could see from afar that wave after wave of people dressed in fine clothes were entering the Zhao residence. The Zhao family had always kept a low profile in the capital, and only at times like this could one see just how deep their foundation was.
He looked around for a while before heading to the side and entering the mansion through a side gate.
At this time, the Dowager Consort was no longer in the courtyard; she was receiving guests at the Tingxiang Garden of the Zhao residence. Those who could come to pay their respects to the Dowager Consort were all mistresses of their respective households, and the Tingxiang Garden was inhabited entirely by women; men were not allowed to enter.
Shang Yin wasn't in a hurry. He simply sent a message to the maidservant beside the Dowager Consort and then waited outside Tingxiang Garden.
Some of the younger people passing by would glance at him curiously, but seeing that he remained unresponsive like a stone statue, they would stop paying attention.
After waiting for nearly fifteen minutes, one of the Dowager Consort's personal maids finally came out. She walked to Shang Yin's side and asked in a low voice, "The Dowager Consort asked me to ask you if you have retrieved the item?"
"Not retrieved."
Shang Yin's answer clearly surprised the maid. She frowned, looking very dissatisfied. However, with people coming and going, she couldn't say much. She just coldly told him to go back to the Empress Dowager's courtyard to wait for his judgment, and then hurriedly returned to Tingxiang Garden.
This matter is of utmost importance; the Dowager Consort has been thinking about it for two days, and it cannot be delayed.
At this moment, the Dowager Consort was talking with the wife of the Minister of Rites. This wife had brought her two daughters to the banquet today. The elder daughter was elegant and refined, while the younger daughter was beautiful and charming, each with her own unique charm.
The other families were not much different; those who could be brought before the Dowager Consort were all legitimate daughters of their families, and their status and upbringing were all of the highest caliber.
After only a short conversation, the ladies of the house realized that the Dowager Consort did not care much about a woman's appearance. In fact, she preferred women with simple and plain features. It seemed that she did not want the Prince of Northern Wilderness to be distracted by beautiful women and wanted to choose a virtuous wife.
Seeing that the Dowager Consort had already begun inquiring about the Minister of Rites' eldest daughter's usual preferences, the ladies of the various families immediately became anxious, while secretly regretting that they hadn't given birth to two daughters with completely different personalities.
Just then, the maid who had just left returned to the Empress Dowager's side and whispered a few words to her.
The Dowager's smile remained warm, but she had lost the will to continue chatting with others.
Fortunately, both the first and second wives of the Zhao family were present, preventing the atmosphere from becoming awkward.
After sitting for a while, the Dowager Consort excused herself to change her clothes and left Tingxiang Garden with her maid.
After leaving Tingxiang Garden, her face turned completely cold, and she asked the maid from before, "Where is Zhao Yin?"
"I've told him to wait in your courtyard."
The Dowager Consort remained silent and strode quickly towards her residence. During the short walk, her face was devoid of any smile, her eyes filled with coldness. The maids following behind dared not utter a sound, lest they displease her.
It wasn't until she entered the courtyard that the Dowager Consort saw Shang Yin standing at the gate.
Upon seeing him, the Dowager Consort didn't even let him speak before slapping him across the face. Shang Yin didn't move an inch and didn't react. The Dowager Consort slapped him twice more until her palms were red before finally uttering two words: "Useless!"
The disgust in her eyes was almost impossible to suppress.
Shang Yin knelt on the ground, head bowed, and no one could see his expression.
The Dowager's chest heaved violently a few times. After her emotions calmed down a bit, she spoke: "Why didn't you take the incense burner back?"
Shang Yin spoke in a flat, emotionless tone, saying, "Ji Chan keeps a second-tier zombie at home. After I appeared, that zombie kept staring at me, and I couldn't find a way to attack it. I'm afraid that as soon as I have a thought, the zombie will retaliate."
"A living corpse?" The Empress Dowager looked surprised, and her tone was no longer as cold as before. "Tell me in detail."
Shang Yin then recounted every detail of his arrival at the incense shop, including every word of the conversation.
"So, you did see the incense burner in Ji Chan's hands?"
"Yes, when I arrived, she was lighting incense with an incense burner. The smoke was condensed and did not dissipate, so it must be a Yushan burner without a doubt."
"Why were there living corpses in Ji Chan's house? Have you found out the reason?"
Shang Yin replied, "I have found out that Ji Chan has a close relationship with Bai Xiuming, the commander of the Mingjing Division. It is likely that the living corpse survived because it went through the Mingjing Division."
This time, the Empress Dowager's expression finally changed.
She naturally knew Bai Xiuming. Although the matter of the King of Xiling was suppressed by Bai Xiuming without causing any waves in the capital, it was a major event in the Northern Wilderness.
"What kind of relationship do you mean by 'close'?" the Dowager Princess pressed for details.
"If the information is correct, it should be... a romantic relationship."
"What is Ji Chan's identity that she has such abilities?" The Empress Dowager was very surprised. Even if she was unwilling to admit it, Bai Xiuming's status was comparable to her son's, yet he could take a fancy to an ordinary woman.
"She was originally the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Jinyang, but was later expelled from the mansion because of her improper bloodline. Now she runs a shop in Changpingfang."
The Empress Dowager became somewhat curious: "Is it really that simple? What was the woman's appearance like?"
Shang Yin thought for a moment and answered truthfully: "Her appearance is excellent, but not stunningly beautiful."
The stunning beauty he spoke of was none other than A Chan back then. With such beauty before her, no other woman could compare to her.
This is also why the Dowager Consort did not pay attention to appearance when choosing a consort for the Northern Wilderness King. She could not find anyone more beautiful than A Chan, so she simply wanted to start from other directions.
"So, is that a natural talent?" Before Shang Yin could answer, the Dowager Consort rejected the guess.
She's really clever; she won't be easily driven out of the Marquis's mansion, losing even the only status she could rely on.
The Dowager Consort couldn't figure out why Bai Xiuming would take a liking to Ji Chan, but she soon stopped worrying about it.
"Never mind, maybe it's just young people indulging in pleasure."
Just like her son, who seemed to have lost his mind, no one knew what he was thinking, daring to defy the world and want a demon to become the Queen of the Northern Wilderness.
At least the fox demon her son had his eye on had an unparalleled beauty, while Bai Xiuming's taste was far inferior.
"Your Highness, that incense burner..."
"You did well this time. We really can't act rashly." At this moment, the Dowager was thinking about more than just the incense burner. She was also wondering if the incense burner had already been discovered by the Mingjing Division if Ji Chan and Bai Xiuming really had an ambiguous relationship.
Are the incense burners displayed now the bait thrown out from over there?
But no matter what, the incense burner must be retrieved; even if it's bait, it must be swallowed.
The Empress Dowager narrowed her eyes. If the Mingjing Division were to be alerted, they would need evidence to arrest someone. If the bait was swallowed and the fish escaped, then the fish would be caught for nothing.
"I remember Bai Xiuming is already at the fourth realm?"
"yes."
"His talent is astonishing."
The Dowager praised her, then pondered in her heart that whether it was for the troublesome living corpse in Ji Chan's house or to guard against Bai Xiuming who might appear at any time, Zhao Yin could not be used, so she could only use the guards who were also at the fourth level.
The four guards around the Empress Dowager were named Huang Lin, and they were left to her by the previous King of the Northern Wilderness.
Originally, she had the authority to command all four regions of the Northern Wilderness Royal Palace, but since falling out with her son, only Huang Linneng obeyed her orders.
The last time the desolate forest was used was to deal with Achan.
He failed that time and was seriously injured, but this time he is dealing with an ordinary person, so there is no possibility of failure.
Because Shang Yin's reasons were so convincing, the Dowager Consort did not punish him further, except for the initial slap.
"You don't need to worry about this anymore."
"Yes." Shang Yin respectfully withdrew. The Dowager Consort finally couldn't resist using the desolate forest, and next it would be A Chan's turn.
As the driving force behind the plan, Shang Yin felt a mix of excitement and fear.
Having such an enemy plotting against you in the dark is a truly terrifying thing.
As he walked out of the courtyard, he even reminded himself that he must never offend Achan in the future, even though he might not have a future.
Not long after the Dowager Consort left, she returned to Tingxiang Garden. While chatting with others, she casually asked the Lady of Ningde, who was talking to her, "Does the Lady of Ningde know the Lady of Jinyang?"
This Lady of Ningde is Lady Zhao's cousin, and the Dowager Consort is willing to give her some face.
Lady Ningde was very talkative, and when she heard the Dowager Princess ask this question, she immediately became interested: "So the Dowager Princess has also heard about the Marquis of Jinyang's family affairs?"
"I've only heard people mention it, it seems..." She only got halfway through her sentence before the other person finished it.
"Speaking of the Marquis of Jinyang's stepmother, I don't know what kind of bewitching drug she gave him, but he didn't even want his legitimate daughter anymore. She was even imprisoned, but the Marquis of Jinyang still refused to divorce her." As she spoke, the Lady of Ningde Marquis showed some envy.
For families like theirs, without the support of the bride's family, it would truly be a case of each family scattering when disaster strikes.
"These two are truly devoted to each other," the Dowager Princess commented, then asked, "What about the Marquis of Jinyang's eldest daughter? How is she doing now?"
Lady Ningde clicked her tongue and said, "This one is no pushover either. I heard that she used her connections in the Mingjing Bureau to have Lady Jinyang imprisoned in the Zhenyu Prison."
"Is this really true?" The Empress Dowager seemed somewhat surprised.
"It's just hearsay. Anyway, there must be some reason why the Marquis of Jinyang has been targeted by the Mingjing Division so many times."
"So it seems that this Miss Ji is quite capable."
Lady Ningde nodded, speaking somewhat cryptically: "It's a pity that her mother's family has fallen into ruin, and the Ji family doesn't acknowledge her either. I'm afraid her glory will only last for a short time."
Although no one openly discussed the lively scene at the Marquis of Jinyang's residence, many people in the capital were watching.
The Empress Dowager nodded; these reports matched exactly what Zhao Yin had said.
The Zhao family's spring banquet lasted until evening. Apart from the incident in the middle, the Dowager Consort was in a pretty good mood. She had her eye on the eldest daughters of the four families, but she only had some thoughts about them and had not yet made a decision.
After all, it's about choosing a wife for one's son, so her background, personality, and character need to be carefully examined.
After returning to her courtyard, she temporarily put all these matters out of her mind. Having dismissed her maids, the Dowager suddenly spoke: "Huanglin."
A black figure emerged from her side like ripples on water, and soon appeared a middle-aged man with a refined appearance. Three scars on his face ruined his demeanor and made him look somewhat gloomy.
"What are your orders, Your Highness?"
The Empress Dowager tilted her head and asked him, "How much have the formations in the capital affected you?"
Huang Lin replied truthfully, "My cultivation has been suppressed to the third realm, but my strength remains. If necessary, I can force a breakthrough, but the commotion will be considerable."
"If you encounter an opponent of the same level, are you confident you can escape unscathed?"
"Your Highness can rest assured. This grand formation in the capital treats everyone equally, and I believe I will not lose to anyone. Even if I am defeated, my water escape technique has never failed me."
The Dowager Princess nodded. She had personally witnessed how elusive Huang Lin was. Among the three fourth-level experts in the Northern Wilderness Royal Palace, his movement technique was the most outstanding.
No matter how much Bai Xiuming is praised, it won't be long before he breaks through to the fourth realm. If Huang Lin really faces him, even if he can't win, it won't be difficult for him to escape unscathed.
After much deliberation, the Dowager Consort finally said, "I've called you here today because there's something I need you to do."
"Please give your orders, Your Highness."
The Dowager Princess gave Achan's address to the other party and reminded them, "Be clean, don't alert anyone, and don't leave any clues."
"yes."
"If the Mingjing Division really has an ambush, then take the things and leave first. In short, the incense burner is the most important thing."
"Understood."
"Go."
As the Empress Dowager finished speaking, Huang Lin's figure transformed into a small puddle of water and disappeared into the house.
After arranging the matters that had been on her mind, the Dowager Consort finally felt at ease.
Next, she just needed to wait patiently; the wilderness never disappointed her.
Meanwhile, in Changpingfang.
After it got dark, Ah Chan made a point of having Chen Hui stay at the shop next door instead of letting her stay at home.
Although Chen Hui was worried about A Chan, she knew that A Chan had her own plans and did not go against her wishes.
As night fell completely, Achan returned to her room.
She lit the candles on the table and then took a sachet and placed it in the incense burner to light it.
These sachets were made by her not long ago. They taste a bit bitter, initially like a medicinal soup, but after the initial bitterness passes, the taste begins to turn sweet.
The flavor variation is quite extreme, yet it's surprisingly popular.
After lighting the incense sticks, Achan rested her elbows on the table, propped her head up with one hand, and looked down at the Yushan incense burner in front of her.
After an unknown amount of time, the candlelight suddenly flickered, but Achan did not look up.
She naturally didn't notice that a figure had quietly appeared behind her.
Just as the figure solidified and attacked her at a speed invisible to the naked eye, a black ripple suddenly spread across Achan's body.
A deafening dragon roar soared into the sky, waking up half the city.
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