"Master Liu? Please come in."
Xiao Dingyuan pushed away the small bowl in front of him, indicating that he would not eat for the time being.
Liu Bufan was a Taoist priest he had recruited from the palace.
He had never believed in any strange curses before, but after he came to power, he had no children and had no choice but to believe it, no matter how unwilling he was.
The curse has taken effect.
So he ordered someone to recruit a Taoist priest from the martial arts world, who was said to be skilled at breaking these curses.
With the idea of giving it a try, Liu Bufan entered the palace two years ago.
He did not disappoint.
After Liu Bufan entered the palace, he performed several religious ceremonies in the harem. Not long after, good news came from Consort Shu's belly.
Therefore, he had unwavering faith in Liu Bufan's abilities.
The only pity is that the baby couldn't be saved.
However, he believes that if Liu Bufan performs a few more rituals, he will still have a chance to have a child.
In the past two years, no one in the harem has conceived. Liu Bufan told him that it was because the time was not yet right.
So he waited, holding onto hope.
Today, Liu Bufan took the initiative to come to him. Could it be that he brought him good news?
Xiao Dingyuan suppressed his joy and looked in the direction Liu Bufan had come from.
Liu Bufan was dressed in a black and white Taoist robe, holding a whisk in his hand. He was only about thirty years old, but he had grown a long beard.
A shrewd glint shone in his small eyes.
"Liu Bufan greets Your Majesty."
"No need for formalities, Daoist Liu. Is there something important you have to say today?" Xiao Dingyuan's tone was full of urgency.
He hoped it would be good news.
Liu Bufan shook his head solemnly: "Your Majesty, no. According to my compass, there is a jinx hiding in Your Majesty's harem."
"This cursed star is no ordinary person; it will not only cause her to lose her relatives and friends, but also cause those close to her to be childless and without descendants."
"This powerful 'lone star of calamity' was well hidden in the past and could not be easily detected, but recently it has shown signs of emerging."
"Your Majesty, I am willing to serve you like a dog or a horse, to help you get rid of this lone star as soon as possible, so that you can smoothly welcome offspring."
"What?"
Xiao Dingyuan's face was full of disbelief.
Not only does he bear the curse of "dying without an heir," but now his harem also harbors a cursed lone star.
How can he have children now?
"Master Liu, what do you think we should do?"
Xiao Dingyuan believed Liu Bufan's words wholeheartedly. As long as this evil, cursed star could be eliminated, he would not hesitate to perform a ritual for forty-nine days!
Liu Bufan stroked his beard, looking confident and composed.
"Your Majesty, rest assured, I have a plan. Tonight, I will take my compass to the inner palace and I will be able to find the culprit who has caused Your Majesty to be childless."
"good!"
————
Night falls.
Liu Bufan, dressed in a Taoist robe, led Xiao Dingyuan and others around the inner palace.
Sometimes he frowned, sometimes he looked solemn, as if he had gone through a lot of hard calculations and thought, eliminating one concubine after another in the harem.
"Your Majesty, the concubines in those palaces we just passed by are not cursed stars. Please rest assured."
Xiao Dingyuan, however, could not feel at ease at all.
He couldn't rest easy until he found that cursed lone star.
Finally, a look of joy appeared on Liu Bufan's face.
"Your Majesty, according to my compass, it's in the vicinity!"
Xiao Dingyuan's brows furrowed deeper and deeper as he looked up.
This area...
It's just...
Is it Yilan Palace?
Could it be that the person who caused him to be childless is Gu Jiangli?
Liu Bufan quickened his pace, rushing to the gate of Yilan Palace and shouting:
"Your Majesty! This is it! The people here are the Heavenly Fiend..."
Liu Bufan's words caught in his throat after he only got halfway through, and he looked in the direction his finger was pointing, as if he were frozen in place.
Just one glance was enough to make him unable to utter any false accusations or framing.
Gu Jiangli stood in the courtyard overgrown with weeds, dressed in a thin white robe. A cold wind blew, and her snow-white neck could be vaguely seen.
Her thin shoulders and slender waist made her look as light as a piece of paper.
A simple bun, a few wisps of hair falling casually on her cheeks, her beautiful eyes filled with affection, as if she had a thousand threads of emotion to express.
Her expression was so full of sorrow, and her frail figure was so pitiful...
Gu Jiangli ignored Liu Bufan, who was staring in disbelief. The system hadn't introduced this character to her, so she figured he wasn't important.
So he feigned panic and surprise, and bowed to Xiao Dingyuan behind him.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects." Her voice was soft and sweet, making Xiao Dingyuan feel as if a cat's claws were scratching at his heart.
This was the first time Xiao Dingyuan had seen Gu Jiangli's face in its entirety after two years of confinement.
He has now completely forgotten Liu Bufan's "cursed lone star" remarks, and forgotten that Gu Jiangli once caused him to lose a child.
His steps were out of control; he bypassed Liu Bufan and went straight to Gu Jiangli, who was kneeling on the ground.
"Why are you standing outside in the middle of the night? Don't you feel that winter is almost here and it's very cold?"
Although Xiao Dingyuan's tone was serious, his concern was very clear.
He reached behind him, and Wen Deqing promptly handed him a heavy fox fur coat.
"You're dressed so thinly, don't you have any clothes to wear? A dignified Lady Gu, don't you even have a cloak to keep warm?"
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