Chapter 199
"Go outside and kneel for two hours to teach him a lesson."
As if relieved, Granny Wu quickly kowtowed to express her gratitude: "Thank you, Your Majesty, thank you for your great kindness."
She then got up and went outside, only to find her knees hitting the hard gravel with a thud. The pain made her face turn pale instantly, and cold sweat poured down her forehead.
Qiu Lingyao turned her head to look at the lotus seed soup that hadn't been touched yet and said, "Zhi'er, pack this lotus seed soup in a food box. Let's go see His Majesty, who is extremely busy with state affairs."
Zhi'er looked up at the refreshing and sweet lotus seed soup, and bowed: "Yes, Your Majesty."
Inside the Guangzheng Hall, the originally magnificent hall has been decorated to resemble a Taoist temple, with Taoist symbols of Tai Chi and Bagua everywhere. In the very center is a gourd-shaped three-legged cauldron that is about two people tall.
The bronze furnace is engraved with intricate and mysterious patterns. In the wisps of smoke, one can vaguely see Emperor Mingyou, wearing Taoist robes and sporting a long beard, hidden in the mist.
His eyes were closed, and his expression was very solemn and mysterious. Ignoring the dark circles under his eyes and the unsteadiness in his eyes, he still had a certain imperial majesty.
Unprecedented and unparalleled, this was the world's first emperor to cultivate immortality and practice Taoism. Not only was he obsessed with it, but he also turned the palace where he handled state affairs into his place of cultivation.
The imperial memorials that were originally on the desk have disappeared, and what remains are all the books about the Taoist Xuanzong and talismans with yellow backgrounds and red characters.
The Imperial Preceptor, Wuxuzi, stood quietly beside him, holding a whisk, his eyes closed, his hand forming a hand seal, and chanting incantations.
Those who don't know the situation might think they're in a Taoist temple.
A slight sound suddenly came from outside the hall. Wu Xuzi slowly opened his eyes and looked in the direction outside.
Gao Liangui looked distressed and stopped the person in front of her, saying with great difficulty, "Your Majesty, His Majesty is busy right now, so please don't go in. If His Majesty blames me, even three heads wouldn't be enough to cut off my head."
"Eunuch Gao, I'm not trying to make things difficult for you. Just go in and tell His Majesty. If he blames me, I'll take the blame."
Qiu Lingyao frowned, a hint of displeasure flashing in her eyes. She thought to herself, "Is she, a dignified empress, not even qualified to enter?"
Even after she said that, he still didn't budge, looking troubled and sighing as he advised, "Your Majesty, you should go back. His Majesty is really not in a position to go."
His Majesty had previously instructed that no one should disturb him while he was cultivating. If his communication with Heaven was disrupted, the gods would be blaming him, which would not only shake the state but could even bring disaster.
When the last concubine who ignored all warnings barged in, the Emperor ordered her to be dragged away and beaten to death.
"Your Majesty, please heed this old servant's advice. I am telling you the truth."
Gao Liangui felt helpless; why wouldn't the Empress believe what he said?
Just then, a voice came from behind, accompanied by footsteps, and said in a reprimanding tone: "Why is it so noisy outside the hall? If you disturb His Majesty's conversation with the gods in heaven, can you bear the consequences?!"
Gao Liangui turned around and hurriedly bowed and apologized: "It was this old servant's fault, Grand Preceptor, please forgive me, this old servant will send the Empress back now."
"Imperial Preceptor, what is His Majesty doing inside? Why can't I go in?"
Qiu Lingyao suddenly remembered that when she came to see the emperor earlier, she heard a woman's laughter outside the palace. She thought that the woman's cultivation of immortality was fake, and that she was really indulging in wine, women, and meat.
Thinking this, she insisted on going in to see what the Emperor was doing inside, that made the usually diligent and responsible Emperor so lax, not attending the morning court for half a month in a row.
Wu Xuzi blocked her path with his whisk and said in a pretentious tone, "Your Majesty, this is a crucial moment for His Majesty to communicate with Heaven. Going in now would be disrespectful to the gods. Please turn back."
Immortals? Where did these immortals come from!
It was all because of this evil Taoist who bewitched His Majesty, causing him to be in a daze all day long, either appearing in Yaohua Palace or cultivating in Guangzheng Palace.
She hasn't seen the Emperor in so long! These people are deliberately preventing her from seeing the Emperor!
Qiu Lingyao didn't believe any of his words and said coldly, "I haven't seen His Majesty for a long time and I'm worried about His Majesty's safety. Today I must go in and see with my own eyes that His Majesty is safe and sound."
“If the Imperial Advisor is honest and upright, he should let me in.”
In other words, if he didn't let her in, it would indirectly prove that he had something to hide, and that something must have happened to the Emperor.
If the current emperor makes any mistake, none of these people will survive.
Despite the Empress's pressure, Wu Xuzi remained calm and fearless, but he eventually relented and said with a faint smile, "I have already advised you. Since Your Majesty insists on going in, then please go in."
Upon hearing this, she revealed a smug smile, snorted coldly, and strode inside.
Wu Xuzi lowered his head and stepped aside. He did not follow her in, but waited at the door. When he saw the palace maid behind her about to follow in, he reached out to stop her.
"You cannot go in; your fate is too lowly, lest you displease Heaven."
Zhi'er looked at his cold expression, paused for a moment, then turned her head anxiously to look into the hall, but the Empress's figure had already disappeared.
There was nothing she could do but wait here for the Empress to come out.
Holding the food box, Qiu Lingyao stared in shock at the unfamiliar surroundings: Tai Chi symbols, talismans, incense, and a pill furnace in the center—it was clearly a small Taoist temple.
A bluish mist filled her vision, and as she drew closer, Emperor Mingyou, dressed as a Taoist priest, appeared before her.
What... what on earth is going on? Is His Majesty obsessed with immortality?
Moreover, His Majesty is completely motionless at this moment, as if he has lost consciousness. Could something really have happened to him?
Worried about the emperor's safety, she rushed over and called out, "Your Majesty? Your Majesty, what's wrong? Your Majesty, wake up!"
She knelt before him, her face tense and flustered, her eyes fixed on the old man's face, shaking his shoulders with both hands, trying to wake him up.
Just as she was about to give up and get up to look for someone, the person in front of her suddenly opened his eyes. Then he raised his hand, and a gust of wind struck her with a sharp crack, making her cheek burn instantly.
Qiu Lingyao covered her cheeks and collapsed to the ground, staring at him in shock and disbelief.
The hairpins in her hair were knocked to the ground, her hair was disheveled, her cheeks were swollen, and a trace of blood seeped from the corner of her mouth. She had completely lost the dignified and majestic demeanor of a queen.
Emperor Mingyou's cloudy eyes were bloodshot, his gaze wide with rage, his expression fierce and filled with murderous intent as he roared, "Get out! Get out of here!!"
She snapped out of her daze instantly, her beautiful eyes glistening with tears, and quickly got up and ran towards the door.
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