Chapter 182 Offering Advice "Fishing Light, I miss you so much."
The Western Capital, the Imperial Palace.
"You want to break the contract?!"
The emperor was so startled that he stood up abruptly from his seat, staring incredulously at the black-clad female cultivator standing ramrod straight below him.
"Why does he have another woman?"
The people below shook their heads.
"So, you have another man?"
The person below hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.
"Then why break the contract? This is a contract between the Great Zhou and the Immortal Sect. How can you, alone, break it?" The emperor was furious and paced back and forth in front of his desk.
He had no right to criticize her. The contract was something that their Great Zhou had begged her to enter into with the Li family. If it weren't for her appearing in Hongyu's body, it would have been his precious daughter who went to the marriage alliance.
In retrospect, she did help the Great Zhou. But now that the alliance is in place and various collaborations are progressing smoothly, what impact would her sudden dissolution of the agreement have on the Great Zhou? What if those Yong bandits suddenly launch an attack at this time?
"I can no longer continue the contract with him."
The people below remained indifferent, offering no explanation for his anxious attitude, only stating her decision.
The emperor was extremely anxious. Having held a high position for many years and seen countless people, he knew that such people, seemingly calm and composed, were actually the most difficult to sway. Getting such a person to change their mind was probably harder than climbing to heaven!
Jiang Yuhuo had indeed made up his mind.
Li Mengbai and Jia Qianyang were in cahoots, and she had been involved in countless of Jia Qianyang's affairs. Moreover, Li Shichuan had almost caused her to follow in the footsteps of Yu Renyuan and be imprisoned for life. It was already a courtesy of her not to kill Li Mengbai, so how could she possibly keep their marriage contract?
"Where do you intend to place the Great Zhou?"
She had considered the consequences of breaking the contract. For both Da Zhou and her, borrowing the Li family's power seemed to be the easiest way, but the internal factional struggles within the Li family were fierce. Now that Li Shichuan had died suddenly, it would not be easy for Li Mengbai to secure his position as the head of the family. He was already struggling to take care of himself, so how much could he possibly contribute to Da Zhou?
Moreover… Jiang Yuhuo couldn’t help but worry when he thought about Li Mengbai’s “illness.” Even as a collaborator, he was far too unstable. If one day he completely lost his mind, who knew where he would place the Great Zhou?
Instead of worrying about his condition in the future, it's better to find another way out as soon as possible.
"I can only say that the Li family is not a suitable ally. Relying on the Li family to help the Great Zhou will only bring greater disaster in the future." Jiang Yuhuo could not say more about the internal situation of the Li family. He only said these things in the hope that the emperor would no longer rely on the Li family, and would not try to replace Xiao Jing with the Li family.
"If not the Li family, then the Ji family? Or the Gongye family?"
The emperor's tone was agitated. He knew perfectly well that the person before him was not his sister, and that the fate of the Ji family, or even the Great Zhou Dynasty, was actually none of her concern. If she wanted to break the contract, he couldn't stop her.
“Perhaps we shouldn’t have hoped to save the Great Zhou through a marriage alliance in the first place,” Jiang Yuhuo said calmly, looking at the emperor.
"Whether it's a marriage alliance or a formal alliance, these have always been facilitated by the ancient divine essence of the Ji family. Cultivators all desire it, regarding it as a supreme treasure for enhancing their cultivation. However, I've heard that the horn of a Qilin that generates divine essence is also a powerful tool for dissolving cultivation. No one has verified whether the rumors are true or false, but what if the Great Zhou says it's true? If such a thing falls into the hands of the Great Yong, wouldn't the immortal sects feel threatened?"
The emperor suddenly stopped.
Over the years, the Great Yong Dynasty has been demolishing temples and expelling cultivators across its borders. Many cultivators who used to roam the mortal realm have come to the Western Capital City, a fact he is well aware of. These wanton acts of suppression have likely already aroused the dissatisfaction of the immortal sects. Cultivators are bound by the Heavenly Dao and cannot interfere in mortal affairs, but this is also because all the Great Yong Dynasty can do is drive them away. For cultivators, changing places is as simple as drinking water, so there is no need to take it too seriously.
But if the Great Yong truly possessed such power, what they would do would be far more than just drive them away...
"Apart from the Ji family, no one has ever seen the Qilin horn. Whether it truly possesses such divine power as rumored is not the most important thing. The most important thing is to spread this secret rumor so that the people of the immortal sects will believe that such a powerful weapon as the Qilin horn cannot fall into the hands of the Great Yong Dynasty, and that only the Great Zhou Dynasty can properly safeguard it as it has for the past thousand years."
"Of course, the Great Zhou is not one that only knows how to take and sit and wait for rescue. In return, the Great Zhou will bestow divine essence upon the heroes and valiant figures of the immortal sects who truly stop this calamity."
"Marriage alliances ultimately rely on the strength of only one family, but fear and self-interest will unite cultivators. With a common enemy, even without formal alliance, the Great Zhou and the Immortal Sects have already become allies."
With just a few words, the emperor had a sudden realization. He sat back down, staring intently at the composed Kunlun cultivators below, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Indeed, only someone from a celestial sect could conceive of such a plan. Confined to the imperial court, his perspective was limited; he only knew that handing over treasures could secure aid, but he hadn't considered that the checks and balances behind those treasures could actually mobilize even greater power…
Jiang Yuhuo had never seen the Qilin Horn, but she had seen things that could dissipate a cultivator's cultivation.
When they were in Liyue Village, Qin Yuqi took out the "Jianxing" sword, the short knife that allowed her to kill the mountain god with the power of a mere mortal.
Therefore, her concerns were not unfounded. The existence of such a thing was a threat to cultivators, only it was unknown to most people.
Now, it's time for the Great Zhou to let the immortal sects know.
Of course, she also had her own selfish motives; she hoped that the immortal sect could deal with Qin Yuqi.
As soon as Jiang Yuhuo stepped out of the study, a green figure rushed towards her like a whirlwind and crashed into her arms.
"Auntie, Auntie, why were you gone for so long? You're finally back! I wanted to go to Yanling to find you so many times, but they wouldn't let me leave! And Master Zhou, how dare he seal my magic! Auntie, please help me unseal it! I want to sneak some rats into his room when he's not looking..."
Jiang Yuhuo caught a glimpse of a blue hem of clothing at the corner of the study and quickly covered Xiao Jing's mouth.
Zhou Sidao stepped forward from the side, the royal official as composed as ever.
Upon seeing the newcomer, Xiao Jing greeted him politely, "Master Zhou."
Zhou Sidao nodded slightly to her, then bowed to Jiang Yuhuo and said, "Your Highness, have Your Highness and His Majesty finished their discussion?"
Jiang Yuhu responded. After all, the matter of breaking the contract was of great importance, so she only told the emperor.
The emperor summoned Zhou Sidao to his study, while Jiang Yuhuo took Xiao Jing out of the palace.
Those who had long been immersed in the power struggles and checks and balances of the court knew far more about these tactics than she did. All she could do was offer them a framework.
The Zhou royal family's resistance to the dissolution of the treaty has been resolved; all that remains is Li Mengbai.
The night market in Xidu City remained bustling. Even though the shadow of Dayong still loomed over the city, it seemed to have no effect on the daily lives of the people here. The stalls were bustling with activity, and theatrical performers and acrobats drew crowds of cheering people over to cheer them on. It was a lively scene.
During the time Jiang Yuhuo was away, Xiao Jing had been confined to the palace and was getting restless. She was so excited when her aunt returned that she begged her to take her out for some fresh air.
The weather was already getting cold. Xiao Jing pulled Jiang Yuhuo to sit at a roadside stall, where they held a bowl of steaming mutton soup and drank it.
Auntie is an immortal and doesn't need to eat, but as Xiao Jing drinks soup and watches her auntie, she feels that her auntie is even more absent-minded than she is.
"Auntie, what's on your hand? Why do you keep looking at your wrist?" Xiao Jing finished her drink, put down her bowl, and finally couldn't help but ask, "Are you waiting for someone?"
Jiang Yuhuo was taken aback for a moment, then nodded.
Xiao Jing guessed correctly; she was waiting for Li Mengbai.
The mark on her wrist seemed to change if Li Mengbai got close, but she hadn't noticed it before.
She knew Li Mengbai would definitely come to find her, but she didn't know when he would come.
Perhaps not so soon. Jiang Yuhuo lowered his sleeves; Li Shichuan had just left, and he must have many things to take care of.
"Auntie, are you waiting for Brother Yizhan?"
Jiang Yuhuo hadn't expected her to mention Wen Yizhan, and couldn't help but ask curiously, "Why do you ask that?"
"Because we used to go shopping together as a trio. We had so much fun that day. It would have been even better if he were here."
Thinking back to that day, Jiang Yuhuo couldn't help but smile. "Do you miss him, or do you miss having someone to eat and drink with?"
Xiao Jing gave an embarrassed smile, realizing she'd been seen through, and then pouted and muttered, "That Brother Yizhan doesn't just eat and drink with me, he also secretly buys things for Auntie!"
Seeing Shangjiang Yuhuo's questioning gaze, Xiaojing realized she had let something slip. "Oh no! He hasn't given it to you yet, has he?"
"What is that?"
Xiao Jing frowned, but finally answered hesitantly, "It's a phoenix hairpin, made of white jade. People here use it as a token of love... That day you glanced at the head of a passing woman, and she told me to say I wanted to eat candied hawthorns, so she had an excuse to buy them. She told me not to tell you... You must not let her know that I told her."
Jiang Yuhuo had no recollection of this incident at all; she assumed Wen Yizhan had simply misread it and had forgotten about it like her afterward. She patted Xiao Jing's head, "Okay, I won't expose you."
Xiao Jing cheered up again, "Then who exactly is Auntie waiting for?"
"Li Mengbai".
Xiao Jing's smile vanished instantly. "Yes, Uncle...?"
It's hard to explain, but even though they've only met a few times, Xiao Jing just can't bring herself to like this future uncle-in-law.
“No, he’s not my uncle.” Jiang Yuhuo said seriously.
“I’m waiting for him to come and break the contract with me.”
Xiao Jing's eyes widened suddenly. "Dissolve...dissolve the marriage? Auntie isn't going to marry him anymore?"
“That’s right. But things are complicated, and your father and Master Zhou will explain it to you later.”
Xiao Jing was still in shock when Jiang Yuhuo leaned down and solemnly said to her, "Xiao Jing, I haven't made it clear to you yet, but I'm not actually your real aunt. I'm just someone who borrowed your aunt's body."
"Once the contract is dissolved, I'll leave. After that, I might not come back to see you for a long time. Or maybe I'll never come back..."
Before Jiang Yuhuo could finish speaking, another small hand covered her mouth. Xiao Jing's eyes welled with tears, and she said angrily, "You're not allowed to say another word!"
"I don't care who you are, you're my aunt!" she shouted, bursting into tears as if she were about to spill the soup she had just drunk.
Jiang Yuhuo understood that Xiao Jing had actually noticed it long ago, but was just unwilling to face and admit it.
She wanted to take Xiao Jing back to the palace; she was crying so much that her eyes were blurred and she couldn't see anything clearly. But Xiao Jing absolutely refused to go back and insisted on continuing to wander around. Jiang Yuhuo was both amused and exasperated, so she had no choice but to lead the wailing girl along the road, attracting the attention of passersby.
"Jiang Xianjun, Jiang Xianjun!"
Amidst her wailing, Jiang Yuhuo seemed to hear someone calling her. Turning around, she saw Ji Qiu'an walking towards her from the crowd.
Ji Qiu'an jogged through the bustling crowd, her eyes bright and her face flushed. "It really is you. I almost thought I was seeing things again."
Jiang Yuhuo didn't notice the word "again" in his words, and only asked curiously, "So you've been staying here all this time?"
Ji Qiu'an smiled brightly, "Yes, I can learn a lot from my uncle, so I'll stay for now." He raised his eyes and glanced timidly at the person opposite him, "I heard from my uncle that the Immortal Lord returned this time to dissolve the contract with the Li family..."
Seeing Jiang Yuhuo nod, Ji Qiu'an was greatly encouraged. "Then, Immortal Lord, have you ever considered... a marriage alliance with another family?"
It seemed that Zhou Sidao hadn't said much to him yet, so Jiang Yuhuo didn't say much either, only shaking his head and saying, "The marriage alliance is over, now we just need to dissolve the contract."
"Thank you for reminding me back then."
Although she didn't take it too seriously because it sounded absurd, everything that happened at the Li family later proved that what he said was true. He was willing to risk being misunderstood to remind her, which was a kind gesture no matter what.
Ji Qiu'an seemed not to have heard her last sentence, and simply nodded and smiled, "Alright, then I'll wait for the Immortal Lord to break the contract." His joy was undisguised in his eyes and brows.
The two eventually escorted Xiao Jing back to the palace together.
Jiang Yuhuo stayed in the former Princess's bedroom. Because she had a good night's sleep last night, she inexplicably missed the feeling of sleeping. So she meditated for a while and then lay down to rest.
The moon was high in the sky, and a long, slender black shadow was cast on her door.
While sleeping, Jiang Yuhuo vaguely sensed a faint smell of blood, which was fragrant and sweet, and the smell was somewhat familiar.
By the time she realized what was happening, the faint smell of blood had already enveloped her body.
Jiang Yuhuo suddenly opened her eyes and found that someone was lying next to her on her pillow. She heard a very soft murmur.
"Fishing lights, I miss you so much."
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