Chapter 287
Lingluo held the bowl, her eyes slightly moist, though it was unclear whether it was from emotion or craving.
"Why are you crying?" Lingwu raised her hand to wipe away her tears.
Having been treated so gently, Lingluo decided that even if she were to leave in the future, she would leave behind as much wisdom as possible for the Empress.
However, since mortals have such short lifespans, it wouldn't be impossible to stay by the Empress's side until she passes away peacefully.
After all, the Empress Dowager has an endless supply of chickens. Even though she has left Suisui, she has been so good to them. If the Empress has chickens to eat, they will definitely have chickens too!
Lingluo, who had been won over by a bowl of chicken soup, rolled her eyes.
—This deal is a steal! Follow your benefactor and you'll have chicken to eat!
Lingwu instructed Linlang, "You should also share the rest. It's cold, so have some soup to warm yourself up."
Linlang subtly curled her fingertips, suppressing the bitterness in her heart, and nodded in agreement, "Yes."
When Yuehui, who had also received some chicken soup, saw Linlang looking distracted, she also noticed something was wrong.
She withdrew her hand from the carrot she was putting into the rabbit's mouth, took the chicken soup, and asked casually, "Linlang, don't you want to leave?"
Holding the chicken soup, Linlang didn't refute, but lowered her head and asked, "Why do you ask that?"
Yuehui pursed her lips and shook her head. "Never mind, it was just a casual question."
She'll have to ask Lingluo later what happened while she was away during the day.
"Oh," Linlang replied, then turned and left, her back view looking quite lonely.
Yuehui withdrew her gaze from Linlang's departing, lonely figure, and frowned for the first time in front of others.
Linlang's changes increased day by day, which is why she didn't notice them immediately.
Looking back now, it seems to have started from the day Suisui found the rabbit.
She vaguely remembered that Linlang's ears were red when she helped the Empress back to the palace that day.
At the time, she thought Linlang was cold, but since she was by the Empress's side, her cultivation was only increasing, so how could she be cold?
Then I recall how Linlang instinctively showed affection to the Empress after transforming into her original form these past few days, and even last night she took the initiative to show the Empress her her cultivation...
This foolish wolf has developed lustful thoughts towards the Empress!
It's just unknown how deep her feelings have become. Linlang is aloof and distant, making it difficult for anyone to get close to her, yet she is also too naive to recognize someone after just a short contact.
Furthermore, wolves only recognize one mate throughout their lives...
Thinking about this, Yuehui felt a headache coming on.
At their level, partners are not really distinguished by gender, so she didn't want to interfere with Linlang's feelings for the Empress.
However, when the time comes, Linlang's cultivation will be taken back, and the Empress's lifespan is short; she will eventually leave, and at that time, Linlang's tears will be of no use.
She was lost in thought, but it wasn't until nightfall that she realized that not only Linlang, but also that foolish fox refused to leave!
Moonlight broke down, "You don't want to eat pheasant anymore?"
Lingluo nodded, her resolve hardening. "Yes, I do! But the palace chefs cook so much better than what I can make! And when Her Majesty recovers, there's a whole chicken feast! Yuehui, do you know what a whole chicken feast is?"
When Lingluo mentioned chicken, her beautiful eyes lit up, and she counted the dishes on her fingers: "There's Five-Color Shredded Chicken, Hibiscus Chicken Slices, Lotus Leaf Chicken..."
Moonlight could no longer maintain her dignified demeanor. She tugged at her hair and interrupted relentlessly, "So you want to wear human skin for decades and never want your beautiful fur again?"
"..." Lingluo paused while counting on her fingers.
She frowned, hesitant for a moment, but then her expression hardened. “But Her Majesty won’t really live to be a thousand years old like they say. She will die after she passes away. It’s not too late for me to leave then.”
She doesn't shy away from the word "death," but she still couldn't help but frown after saying it.
She sighed inwardly, no wonder mortals don't like to talk about "death". The thought of her empress, who would bring her chicken soup and wipe away her tears, dying made her heart clench with discomfort.
Moonlight looked irritably at the heavy snow outside the window.
As night falls, large snowflakes flutter by the window, creating a scene of coldness mixed with a sense of atmosphere.
The charcoal fire inside the hall had been burning for a while, making her throat a little dry. Lingwu pushed open the window, and through the drifting white snow, her clear and bright gaze fell on the clump of evergreen trees.
The evergreen trees were covered in snow, and a touch of reddish-jade color vanished without a trace when she looked down at it, as if it had never existed.
The rabbit hid even deeper, and it was only after a long time that he quietly peeked out to take a look.
Then you see Lingwu wearing a plain white, thin long dress, the sleeves fluttering and swaying, her slender figure looking as if she could be blown down by a gust of wind.
A few snowflakes happened to be blown in and gently landed on her hair, making her look even thinner.
The rabbit was worried and wanted to go out and see what was happening, but he saw her blink gently, her eyelashes fluttering, and a faint smile appear in her eyes.
Her face was stunningly beautiful, and every smile and frown made one's heart flutter, but the rabbit's heart was at peace because of her smile.
She waved to him.
The rabbit's heart skipped a beat, and it looked at her with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.
Is his benefactor looking for him?
The rabbit froze, his nostrils suddenly felt hot, he sniffed, and his eyes became slightly moist.
After a long while, he finally made up his mind and was about to appear when he saw a dark figure land first, one step ahead of him.
The man in the black shirt stood out against the snow.
The woman by the window showed no surprise. The rabbit suppressed his murderous intent towards the man and realized that his benefactor was not looking for him. He sniffed sadly but did not leave.
He was meeting this man for the first time, and he was even extremely good at hiding. There was no guarantee that he wouldn't harm his benefactor, so he couldn't leave.
Yingyi stepped closer, and the two looked at each other through the window.
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager," he said respectfully, kneeling on one knee and bowing his head.
Ling Wu nodded. "Are you His Majesty's man, or the late Emperor's man?"
"This servant is Your Majesty the Empress Dowager's person." Ying looked up at her, her voice low and calm.
The devotion in his dark green eyes seemed genuine.
Lingwu didn't reply, she just stared at him.
Without hesitation, Yingyi produced an imperial edict from somewhere, stood up, and respectfully presented it to Lingwu.
"The late Emperor decreed that if you ever regain your senses, all my secret forces will be at your command. If you remain as you are, we will only protect you." His voice was slightly hoarse, but his tone was very firm.
Ling Wu examined the imperial edict, confirming that it was indeed genuine, before raising her eyes to ask, "Then why did you come yesterday?"
Yingyi was not surprised that Lingwu had discovered him yesterday. "I came yesterday on His Majesty's secret decree. His Majesty instructed me to stay by your side at all times and to report to you immediately if you show any unusual behavior," Yingyi replied. Seeing Lingwu's indifferent expression, he explained, "I had not come to see you before because I was observing you."
Ling Wu didn't dwell on those things. "Did the late emperor say anything else to you?"
"The late emperor only said that we should obey your orders, and that life and death, except for the destruction of the country, are entirely up to you," he replied.
Lingwu did not doubt his sincerity. "What's your name?"
"My name is Yingyi."
Lingwu tossed the imperial edict back to him, saying, "This place is a den of dragons and tigers, and no one around me can be trusted. I entrust this imperial edict to you for protection."
It is indeed a tiger's den, a wolf's lair, a fox's nest, and perhaps we should add a rabbit's den as well...
The trusted woman looked up and saw the dim lights behind her; even her plain dress could not conceal her beauty.
Ling Wu met his gaze, her eyes indifferent. He immediately lowered his head, "This servant obeys."
Lingwu then said, "Make a copy of the evidence His Majesty asked you to collect regarding those plotting a rebellion and hand it over to me. Otherwise, continue to obey His Majesty's orders."
Yingyi's heart, which was usually calm, began to pound violently because of her previous dormancy and her indifferent command at this moment.
"Yes, sir!"
Ling Wu smiled sweetly at the direction of the evergreen tree, then raised her chin slightly, "Before you leave, go and catch that eavesdropping rabbit and bring it to me."
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