irresistible
Sima Xian arrived late, "You!"
He looked closely and saw a red mark on Xi Yushao's left cheek, with the shape of five fingers clearly visible. The strands of hair that had been blown away when he was hit were now stuck to his cheek, making his handsome face look more vulnerable.
The pain was prolonged.
Sui Zhixu turned her head and hummed softly, even leaning against Gu Qingyi's chest, pretending not to see Sima Xian. The hem of her skirt, which swayed as she turned, resembled the first layer of green sprouting in late winter and early spring.
The green waves of spring rippled, and the ripples reflected in Xi Yushao's eyes. His gaze darkened, and his thumb unconsciously rubbed the thin calluses on his index finger.
Good night, Your Majesty.
Before Sima Xian could speak, Sima An suddenly hugged her and cried, "Ah—you can't punish your sister! It was his crazy father who wanted to be your child, that's why you hit him. He took advantage of you first."
Sima Xian grabbed Sima An by the back of his collar. "When did I say I was going to punish your sister?"
“You used to punish me whenever I did something wrong.”
"Don't you see what you've done wrong? Do you think your sister is the same as you?"
Sima An remained silent, and she was greatly shocked.
"No, I... okay, what you said seems to make sense." Sima An released his waist, looking puzzled and confused.
"It's all his fault!"
Shen Huaiyu: "What are you whispering about?"
Sima Xian and Sima An: "!"
"No."
Shen Huaiyu gave them a strange look. "It's because you two spoil her that she acts like this. Now she's even publicly assaulting a court official. She must be punished severely today, or she might burn the palace down one day!"
Sima Xian: "That makes sense."
Sima An: "That's good... Ah, no, I mean what Mother said is very good."
Shen Huaiyu stared at Sima An for a long time. Sima An lowered her head and pouted, pretending to be well-behaved. Shen Huaiyu turned her head away speechlessly at her behavior.
Sima Xian leaned close to Sima An and whispered, "Your mother is frightening."
"really."
"Your father hasn't even given your sister the title of county princess yet, how could she treat Yu Shao so arrogantly? She just left the imperial study, and the next thing she knows, she beat him up and demanded an explanation about why he wants to be her father?"
Sima An looked disapproving. "How can you be a county princess? Your aunt doesn't care about your sister. She's raised by you and is no different from your own daughter. She should be the eldest princess. Otherwise... well, not enough for your sister to do as she pleases."
In the end, she spoke with a guilty conscience, and her voice grew softer and softer.
"And what about being a father? Xi Yushao kept babbling on and on, saying that her brother-in-law was a merchant and not good enough for her, and that she was willing to be the father of the child in her sister's womb. Her sister got angry and hit him."
Shen Huaiyu didn't hear it. She went up to look at Sui Zhixu. The young lady had a cold face and looked indifferent, just like she had been in the Prince's mansion many years ago.
The Emperor's likes and dislikes are hers; this was true then, and it is true now.
"Publicly assaulting an official of the imperial court, confined to the palace for one month, and punished by copying the palace rules five times. Lord Xi is the aggrieved party; I wonder if you are satisfied with my punishment? After all, A-Ling is pregnant."
"Mother, the Lantern Festival is three days from now, on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month."
Shen Huaiyu glanced at Sima An, wondering how she could have given birth to such an innocent child.
Xi Yushao bowed respectfully, but the handprint on his face was impossible to hide.
"Your Majesty, I have failed in my duty. Please do not punish me."
Shen Huaiyu said meaningfully, "Does Xi Qing really mean what she said?"
“My lady is gentle and well-educated. Your Majesty, I am certain of my feelings for Lady Lu. I beseech Your Majesty to grant my request.”
Sui Zhixu: "Do you want to get beaten up?"
"You've made me not even recognize you anymore." Gu Qingyi patted the head of the little lady in her arms, who looked up disapprovingly and glanced at her.
"Quick, lower your heads. We can't let the system detect us."
Yue Ling's voice suddenly rang in his mind. Sui Zhixu lowered his head and glanced around with only a glance.
Everything around was frozen in place, whether it was the passing wind, the strands of hair fluttering in the air, the jade pendant swaying at the waist, or the people themselves; all living things in the sky and on the earth were suspended.
She asked Yueling, "What is this?"
As Xu leaned against Gu Qingyi, with his back to Xi Yushao, he took in the strange colors of the world. The boundary between heaven and earth blurred, and the snow was mixed with white.
It reminded her of that scene in Miao territory.
Magnolia biondii.
Aside from extraterrestrial beings, no other person in the world possesses such abilities.
The moon's age confirmed her suspicions: "The system's power—it sacrificed another batch of children to gain power. Later, you must obey their words and act accordingly. We must deal with them as soon as possible, otherwise, who knows who will be next?"
In the blink of an eye, Xi Yushao spoke again, and the world returned to normal.
"Your Majesty, I humbly request to marry Lady Lu. I hope Your Majesty and the Emperor will grant my request."
“Xi Lang is a handsome and talented man, and he and A Ling are a perfect match. We elders are naturally pleased. What do you say, Your Majesty?”
Shen Huaiyu's eyes were vacant and lifeless, yet he muttered incantations, his emotions overflowing. His entire face was as blank as a puppet's, his mouth opening and closing.
When he turned to look at Sima Xian, his neck jerked and twitched, as if the old, rusty parts inside were twisting awkwardly.
"Your Majesty?"
Sima Xian seemed to pause, remaining silent for a long while. Xi Yushao was not in a hurry at all, quietly waiting for him to continue.
The sky and earth were still white, but an invisible darkness engulfed them, choking them.
In the stillness, Sui Zhixu heard Sima Xian's voice, "I hereby bestow upon A Ling the title of Princess of Jinyang. I will issue an imperial decree to grant you marriage upon my return."
Xi Yushao laughed heartily, knelt on one knee and kowtowed in gratitude, "Thank you, Your Majesty, I will certainly live up to Your Majesty's expectations."
Despite Xu's gritted teeth, Yueling kept trying to calm her down.
After saying too much, Xu Cai replied, "I'm very calm and won't cause any problems."
Raising his eyes, Xi Yushao looked at her tenderly, "A-Ling?"
She watched indifferently as Xi Yushao took her hand. Her face was expressionless, but joy was evident in his eyes.
"Yes, I'm willing."
As Xu Zhixu's lips gradually curved into a smile, her movements were incredibly stiff, her gentle exterior masking an icy coldness.
On the day of her coronation ceremony, she secretly sneaked into the Imperial Preceptor's Hall and, unsurprisingly, met He Miao.
As she approached the Imperial Preceptor's Hall, she clearly heard the mountain-suppressing bells hanging from the eaves ringing violently in the wind.
There was no one around the Imperial Preceptor's Hall. She reached out and touched a transparent barrier in the air, which was the barrier set up by Yue Ling.
She steadied herself and went inside. Outside, the Imperial Preceptor's Hall appeared calm and peaceful, but inside, a fierce struggle raged.
Yueling and He Miao fought fiercely, but the Imperial Preceptor's Hall was, after all, Yueling's territory, and it wouldn't be so easily taken over by him.
Judging from the numerous wounds on both sides, this war is definitely going to last a long time.
"You dare to come to me even when you're seriously injured." Yueling stood up shakily, her snow-white whisk turning scarlet.
"Yueling!" Sui Zhixu quickly went to Yueling's side and helped her up.
Yueling glanced at her sideways, then tilted her chin up. "He won't die, but he's about to. Ha!"
Yueling patted Sui Zhixu's arm and then kicked He Miao.
"Although Master has expelled you from the sect, out of consideration for our past relationship, I will take you back to Yueshan for burial. The other senior brothers and sisters should also know your fate."
He Miao spat out a mouthful of black blood and groaned, "Me, die? I can't possibly die!"
Yue Ling suddenly threw the black wheel from her sleeve at He Miao's head. Caught off guard, he suddenly fainted. She clapped her hands, walked over, and kicked him twice.
"Please! This is my territory. You dare to come here when you're still injured? You're the one who should die, not you!"
Sui Zhixu reached out and pinched her, "Be serious at crucial moments."
"It's alright, I know what I'm doing."
Sui Zhixu recounted her trip to Miao territory to her, "The system took over Xinyi's body and even attracted heavenly lightning. Just like when you were trapped in the Imperial Preceptor's Hall."
"Stop, let's not dwell on the past." Yue Ling thought for a moment, took a breath, and said, "I'm going to Yue Kingdom, a country west of Jiannan. Another branch of the Yue Mountain sect is stationed there. I'll persuade them to work together to remove the system. It's beyond my imagination. No wonder he..."
Yueling kicked He Miao at her feet, "I'll take him with me as well. The Yue Shan disciples in Yue Kingdom are focused on the Way of Judgment, so He Miao can be handed over to them."
Is he Zhou Changyuan?
Yueling sighed, "You..."
“I dreamt of him. He took me to my past life, but as Sui Zhixu. But when I woke up, I didn’t see him again.”
Yue Ling said in a heavy tone, "This matter is a long story. The most urgent task is to resolve the issue of two kings coexisting. The system's methods are insidious, and the fellow disciples of Yue Shan will definitely take action. I will go to Yue Kingdom tonight to discuss with them. However, Yue Shan had an alliance with various countries in the past, and Yue Shan sorcerers are not allowed to get involved in the war between the countries."
“I understand that people who live outside the world don’t concern themselves with worldly troubles, especially since you have such high magical abilities. If you get involved, the consequences will be unimaginable.”
Yue Ling nodded. “Although Yue Kingdom is small, its military strength is strong, so much so that it has not been occupied by other countries for many years. I will first ask the Emperor to send someone to Yue Kingdom to establish an alliance with Emperor Ning. Although I am a recluse, I have been involved in the affairs of Qi Kingdom for a long time. Zui Lan and you are my disciples. Although I was not present at the Shan Hai Academy, I have heard about it. The aristocratic families are different from what you imagine. You cannot put all your hopes on them.”
“I understand. I never expected anything from them in the first place. All I wanted was the influence of the powerful families. The longer I kept them trapped, the more room I had to maneuver. I’ve already contacted the people left in Chang’an. You can escape through them.”
As Xu held Yueling's hand, she deliberately circled Chang'an more than three times that day, not only to get medicine but also to pass on a message. One of the clinics was owned by Madam Chu, and she used it to make contact with Chu Shiguan.
"Alright, wear the mermaid pearl. I've added other spells to it to detect the system's presence. After all, I'm quite familiar with it because he was trapped in the Imperial Preceptor's Hall for many days. Wear it carefully. In this world, among us, only you can approach Sima Xian. You're alone in the palace and pregnant, so please be careful."
Yueling personally put the mermaid pearl on Sui Zhixu's head, saying, "It was fate that I took Zuilan as my disciple back then, and it was destiny that I took you as my disciple."
She reached out to tidy Sui Zhixu's hair. "Once everything settles down, I'll tell you what Zhou Changyuan and I promised each other back then. You absolutely must win. You asked me back then why this fate had befallen you? You resented..."
She was resentful; fate had played a cruel trick on her. Her uncle and others, who had raised her, were enemies and adversaries of her biological parents.
"It's a difficult decision..."
Is it the debt of giving birth or the debt of raising?
"You don't understand..."
Why me?
"I'm letting you learn, experience, grow, see the paths the ancients walked, and learn from the works of our predecessors to improve yourself. I'm placing you in the academy to feel and experience the camaraderie that is appropriate for your age. I'm letting you resolve family affairs and understand the affairs of the court. I'm letting you witness the helplessness of lovers. I'm putting you in the midst of complex power struggles, letting you face them. I know every step will be difficult for you. I'm afraid of forcing you to grow too fast, yet I'm also afraid that I'm not being tough enough on you."
"You've truly grown up when you've seen all of this and even taken the initiative to shoulder your responsibilities."
Yueling kicked He Miao. He had done many bad things, but he did one good thing: for money, he gave Mingyi a wooden bracelet with a spell that allowed them to swap souls, so that she could take over teaching disciples.
"Take good care of yourself. I'm leaving! I'll let you know if anything happens. Don't miss me too much." Yueling picked up He Miao and waved to her.
Who misses you!
A fleeting memory filled Sui Zhixu's heart. She grasped Xi Yushao's hand and turned to look at Sima Xian.
"A-Ling thanks Uncle for bestowing this marriage upon her."
It's only been three days; she's just pretending.
She is not just Lu Kou, nor just Sui Zhixu; she has the ability and confidence to decide what happens next, and she is capable of taking control of this game of fate.
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