Shi Changbo knew the Empress Dowager's scheme well and remained silent.
Jing Huarong said to him with a big smile, "Chef Shi, I am so happy for you and your master are reunited now. You must come on your wedding day, Chef Shi."
"I'm just a humble cook, not some imperial chef, hardly worthy of being served in a refined setting..."
"Chef Shi, what are you saying? If it weren't for your tireless efforts day and night researching recipes for the late Emperor, he probably wouldn't have lived so long," Jing Huarong said directly. "Alright, who dares to object to me sending you?"
"Someone, escort Imperial Chef Shi out of the palace." She didn't give Shi Changbo a chance to refuse. "Imperial Chef Shi should just go back and wait patiently for his 'daughter' to be married off."
Shi Changbo was sent out of the palace.
However, not long after leaving the palace, he was asked to leave by another person...
The Empress Dowager discussed the wedding date with Mu Tiantian and Long Xinghuang.
Mu Tiantian behaved extremely obediently throughout, which pleased the Empress Dowager greatly.
Long Xinghuang glanced at Xin Liangmu, who had remained silent, and asked, "I wonder if the Imperial Preceptor has something important to discuss here?"
Jing Huarong smiled and answered for him, "I was just discussing your marriage with Miss Lin with the Imperial Advisor. We need to be prepared for any unforeseen circumstances. Your Majesty, I'm tired. You can escort Miss Lin back to the palace and help them get to know each other better."
"Your subject obeys." Following the Empress Dowager's instructions, Long Xinghuang escorted her out of Yongshou Palace.
After the two left, Jing Huarong's expression changed. "Imperial Preceptor."
"Your subject is present."
"On the day of the wedding, you must hide Lin Miao and not let anyone find her. But you must tell me where she is hidden. You don't need to worry about the rest."
"Your subject obeys the decree." Xin Liangmu bowed respectfully, his head remaining lowered and never raised.
Jing Huarong stood up, stepped forward, and took his hand; he was slender and tall.
She gently stroked the back of his hand, her voice softer than usual, "Your skin is as delicate as a woman's. I wonder if all the Miao people are so good at taking care of themselves. I'll ask you one more time, do you really not want to stay in the Central Plains? I can guarantee you a worry-free life."
Disgust flashed in Xin Liangmu's eyes. He withdrew his hand imperceptibly and replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, I have not yet avenged my great grudge and must disappoint you."
Upon hearing this, Jing Huarong's eyes turned cold, and her voice also became icy. "Since the Imperial Preceptor's mind is so firm, I have nothing to say. Guards, escort the Imperial Preceptor back to his residence."
After leaving Yongshou Palace, Xin Liangmu expressionlessly took out a handkerchief and fiercely wiped the spot where the Empress Dowager had touched him, then groaned, "Old woman."
Having said that, he carelessly tossed the handkerchief aside and left the palace.
...
On the way back to the palace, Mu Tiantian found an excuse to go to the Imperial Study with Long Xinghuang.
He performed a short act in front of Zhao Ping, saying that he wanted to accompany the emperor and didn't want the emperor to be too tired.
Upon learning this, Zhao Ping immediately sent someone to report to the Empress Dowager, while he stood guard outside the Imperial Study, keeping a close watch on the movements inside.
Mu Tiantian pulled Long Xinghuang behind the shelf and quietly told him all the reasons why the Empress Dowager wanted him to take her as a concubine, including the Empress Dowager sending Xin Liangmu to assassinate Long Fantian, and the incident of Long Fantian's death in Miao territory ten years ago.
Long Xinghuang was shocked after hearing this. The Empress Dowager was indeed very nosy, but he had only ascended the throne ten years ago, and his uncle had promised his father that he would assist him well.
The Empress Dowager treats Uncle Wang very well, and she will even have him teach him more.
So at that time he trusted Uncle Wang a lot.
However, as time went by, even though he was fully capable of handling political affairs on his own, the regent was still unwilling to relinquish power.
That's why he harbored resentment, and his mother's constant interference in his decisions led him to develop a rebellious nature.
Later, he learned that the regent had rebellious intentions and was training and deploying troops in large numbers, so he became even more wary and disgusted with him.
Now tell him that the reason the regent did this was because he thought the assassin was sent by the emperor.
How could Long Xinghuang believe this?
"Lin Miao, this is no joke. Do you have any evidence to back up your claim?" Long Xinghuang asked her seriously.
"You want evidence? I'll show you." With that, Mu Tiantian began to use her internal energy to force the Gu worms out.
The next moment, a worm the size of a fingernail crawled out from the fingertip.
Mu Tiantian felt dizzy for a moment, and her wound, which should have healed, throbbed with pain.
Seven Masters: [You're always using internal energy cultivation techniques from other worlds to circumvent your body's limitations, which will cause irreversible damage. Your arrow wound has only just healed; you can't keep doing this.]
Mu Tiantian said nonchalantly, "It's alright. Once the mission is complete, this body won't be of much use anymore... it probably won't be of any use anymore, right?"
In the end, Mu Tiantian lost her confidence.
She said things like that a lot back when she was doing missions.
In the end, they still had to come back and clean up the mess.
Seven Unifications: [Uh... I think... you should take it easy. What if you fail again in this world?]
Mu Tiantian: [Go away, don't curse me.]
She showed the Gu worm to Long Xinghuang, "This Gu worm can control a person's mind, brainwash them, and make them unconsciously obey commands. Have you ever heard of hypnosis? I think you call it something like 'Zhu You Shu' here, that should be the name."
Long Xinghuang once saw a record of "Zhuyou Technique" in an ancient book, but it was for healing, so how could it control people?
Mu Tiantian didn't know how to explain it to him, "Anyway, the effect of this Gu worm is similar to hypnosis, it can brainwash people."
"You mean, you've been brainwashed by the Imperial Advisor?" Long Xinghuang looked at her suspiciously.
Mu Tiantian said directly, "Of course, it was the Empress Dowager who did it. She wanted you to take me into the palace, probably because she wanted me to seduce you. So she kept brainwashing me, making me believe from the bottom of my heart that the person I like is you. But actually, she didn't really want me to enter the palace as a concubine. So she planned to replace me with Jingxi on the wedding day because Jingxi is the Empress Dowager's person, and the Empress Dowager will only believe her."
"If it weren't for my martial arts skills, I would have been controlled by these Gu worms long ago." Mu Tiantian revealed the truth, looking at the dark Gu worms with disgust. She took a pen holder from the imperial desk, poured all the brushes inside onto the table, and then put the Gu worms in.
Long Xinghuang wasn't angry at her behavior; instead, his mind was filled with her words, "So... what you said to the Empress Dowager about liking me... was false?"
"Your Majesty, please don't take offense. I only said that to gain the Empress Dowager's trust. You won't mind, will you?" Mu Tiantian smiled, but after a while, she felt that the Empress Dowager was being a bit unnecessary and asked with some confusion, "However, if the Empress Dowager wants a grandson so much, why not just send Jingxi to your palace? Why go through all this trouble to hold a grand wedding and even change the bride? Perhaps this will help her plan."
Wanting offspring is easy, just use some sleeping pills and you'll have them. Why bother making them drink tonics?
The key issue is that Long Xinghuang likes Xi Ya but doesn't reciprocate her feelings, so even if he marries her, they can't consummate their marriage.
As for the Empress Dowager's claim that Long Xinghuang had been interested in her for many years, perhaps it was just a pretext for her to get married, so Mu Tiantian didn't take it to heart.
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