Old Li's expression was solemn. He formed a hand seal with his five fingers, pointing his index finger forward with both fingers together...
Click—
A groove popped out from the very center of the perfectly sealed altar. With a single finger, he pried and pulled, and Old Li pulled out a small drawer-like hidden compartment.
Compared to the image of an old farmer who picks his butt and nose from time to time, Ruan Xianxian only realized at this moment that Old Li really was a person from another world.
Old Li took out a parchment scroll from the hidden compartment, flipped through it, and casually tossed it to Ruan Xianxian, saying, "The truth is all in there. Take your time to read it."
After saying this, he walked to the side with his hands behind his back, sat cross-legged on the spot, and focused on his inner energy.
The moment my eyelids slightly closed, I breathed a sigh of relief.
I almost, almost embarrassed myself in front of two young men and a scruffy fox.
Heaven knows what kind of nonsense was written on the parchment scroll?
I don't understand it at all; I can't understand a single symbol.
He's already in deep meditation with his eyes closed, so the kids can't possibly have the nerve to ask him what's written on it, can they?
Upon receiving the parchment scroll, Ruan Xianxian's expression shifted from surprise to bewilderment.
The drawing is too abstract!
If you don't believe me, take a look. Can you understand it?
Mu Xia gazed intently and gave the answer, "This is the script of the six states that followed the oracle bone script of the Shang Dynasty and the bronze inscriptions of the Western Zhou Dynasty."
The six states referred to in the script are Zhao, Han, Wei, Qi, Chu, and Yan.
Compared to bronze inscriptions, the most obvious difference is the arbitrary simplification of strokes and the chaotic structure.
The above text should be the script of the Yan state, one of the six states.
Ruan Xianxian opened her mouth, "So, what did you write?"
Mu Xia shrugged. "I don't know. It's like I know you and Gong Ye got married, but I don't know what positions you two are in in bed."
The more they talked, the more outrageous it became. The white fox snatched the parchment and spread it out on the white jade ground a little further away, where it hadn't gotten wet.
The next moment, his breathing became rapid.
Sharp claws popped out from the paw pads, seemingly about to tear the parchment scroll apart, but Ruan Xianxian reacted quickly and stopped them.
"Wait! This thing could very well be your master's only proof. Think it through before you destroy it?"
The white fox lowered its head towards the Heavenly Palace, letting out a series of laughs that sounded like a woman's, but the laughter contained no joy, only endless sorrow and pain.
Ruan Xianxian went over and hugged him, asking softly, "Do you recognize the words on it? Can you tell me what it says?"
This also leaves the world with a true picture of the Eighth Princess of Yan, rather than a fabrication by a fraudster.
Some word touched the white fox, and tears streamed from its eyes.
It turns out that the truth is quite different from the mural.
The general was not the princess's savior at all, but rather the beginning of her disaster.
Even royalty can be ruthless, yet they can also be compassionate.
The Eighth Princess's mother was an extraordinary woman with outstanding literary and martial talents, but unfortunately she came from a merchant family. A thousand years ago, merchants were considered the lower class, while scholars were farmers, artisans, and merchants were the lowest class.
In the traditional view, farm girls were considered to be of higher social standing than merchant girls.
The woman met and fell in love with the Emperor of Yan by chance, but her status was such that she was not even qualified to be a concubine, let alone a slave.
This extraordinary woman, of humble origins, somehow captured the emperor's heart.
They were hidden outside the palace by the then-Emperor of Yan, and lived as an ordinary couple without the emperor's robes.
Unfortunately, she died young, passing away in childbirth and leaving behind only one daughter for the emperor.
In his grief, the emperor took on the responsibility of raising his daughter. However, the harem was rife with intrigue and the empress's family was powerful. With such a small baby, there were always places the emperor couldn't keep an eye on.
His favoritism repeatedly led to his daughter's death.
After facing numerous dangers, the emperor, having learned his lesson, heeded the advice of the empress's maternal family and ostensibly placed his youngest daughter under house arrest, but in reality protected her deep within the palace.
There were certainly difficulties and setbacks, but the claims of being humiliated by maids or manipulated by eunuchs are pure nonsense.
Through the emperor's meticulous planning, he deceived the empress and protected his daughter as she grew up safely in the palace.
But all of this was observed by the observant young general.
He was ambitious and harbored ulterior motives towards the supreme position of the Great Yan. After much deliberation, he decided to start with the emperor's most beloved daughter in order to gain the emperor's trust.
The design included classic chance encounter scenarios, such as the first meeting and the hero rescuing the damsel in distress, which Ruan Xianxian considered very cliché, yet effortlessly captured the girl's heart.
The emperor, who cared about his daughter, noticed him. Although he was an illegitimate son, he was ambitious. He had no relatives he cared about, and no concubines or children.
He was barely qualified to be the son-in-law of his daughter, wholeheartedly devoted to her.
However, the emperor knew all too well the inherent weakness of men who would go astray once they had money and power. So, he didn't even bother to give him an official position, let alone cultivate him with all his might. He only wanted him to spend romantic evenings with the princess.
But this is exactly the opposite of the young general's wolfish ambitions.
If one plan fails, another will be devised.
He devised a plan to make the legitimate princess born to the Empress fall in love with him, turning the little princess into a spice in their relationship.
Having successfully joined the army with the Empress's maternal clan, the little princess was seen by the general, who had tasted the benefits, as a misstep that rendered her useless.
However, in the emperor's eyes, he was already the Eighth Princess's prospective husband, and his behavior of provoking the Eldest Princess enraged the emperor.
He finally realized that this man was no good match for his beloved daughter, and intended to arrange a marriage between the general and the eldest princess at the palace banquet.
Unexpectedly, this action deeply offended his beloved youngest daughter, so he had no choice but to give up for the time being.
The little princess's persistent nagging and pestering afterward annoyed the general, not to mention the emperor who couldn't resist his daughter's affection and was about to give in...
This led the general, who had come to realize the situation, to plot against the little princess.
She was the biggest obstacle on his path to rebellion.
To eliminate this biggest obstacle, the general collaborated with the prime minister's family to send a portrait of the little princess, even more beautiful than the real person, to the aging Khan of the Western Rong, who was also eyeing the Great Yan with covetous intent.
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