What?
This is outrageous!
This tyrannical ruler not only humiliated his sister, but also dared to ruin her reputation!
If this matter were to spread out of the palace, people would only think of her as a wicked empress who used her beauty to please men, and she would have no dignity left in the hearts of the people.
Zhao Yan's face flushed red with anger, and her chest heaved violently.
"This tyrant is incredibly audacious. I've only been out of the palace for a few days, and he's already caused so much trouble. Does he really think I won't dare to settle accounts with him?"
"Ziyan, come with me! Today I will seek justice for Yan'er and for myself!"
With that, Zhao Yan changed her clothes and stormed out.
Zhao Yan looked flustered and quickly grabbed Zhao Lan's arm, trying to stop her.
"Sister, no, the Emperor..."
"Now that things have come to this, are you still going to cover up for that tyrannical emperor? Yan'er, how could you be so foolish?"
Zhao Lan gave her a disappointed look and sighed.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yan lowered her head, but did not loosen her grip.
Logically speaking, she should hate the tyrannical emperor for treating her this way.
But for some reason, I always felt a sour, swollen feeling in my heart, and I was extremely sad.
"Sister, he saved Yan'er's life, so he can be considered Yan'er's savior. Father said that one should repay kindness. Sister, could you please forgive him this time for Yan'er's sake?"
Zhao Yan recounted to Zhao Lan in detail how she had been poisoned and how Qin Yu had cleverly rescued her.
Hearing this, Zhao Lan's expression softened considerably.
She pursed her red lips, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes, and frowned as she waved her hand.
"Very well! Since you've put it that way, I'm not unreasonable. As long as he doesn't provoke me again, I won't make things difficult for him."
Seeing that she agreed, Zhao Yan nodded happily, her cheeks slightly flushed.
On the other side, Qin Yu took out a jade pendant from his bosom and rubbed it with his hand.
Now that Sima Lie is colluding with the officials, the power in the court is one-sided. He must build his own power as soon as possible in order to counter him!
With this in mind, he disregarded everything else and immediately decided to try his luck at Qingyun Temple.
"Anfu, come with me to Qingyun Temple. I need to see how the longevity elixir is being refined!"
Qin Yu flicked his sleeves and swaggered toward Qingyun Temple.
Anfu followed closely behind.
Qingyun Temple is located on the west side of the palace, and it is not too far from the inner palace.
When Qin Yu arrived at Qingyun Temple, he couldn't help but frown, his expression complicated.
This Qingyun Temple doesn't seem to be quite the same as I imagined!
The Qingyun Temple, with its blue bricks and white tiles, appeared much more solemn compared to the magnificent palace.
There is no ethereal mist surrounding it; instead, it exudes a secluded, rural atmosphere.
The most extravagant thing here must be that towering Tower of Babel that reaches into the clouds!
Is Liu Caiqing really reliable?
With suspicion in his heart, Qin Yu walked inside.
Inside, there were scattered groups of Taoist nuns in robes walking around.
The loose-fitting Taoist robes made them appear even more petite and endearing.
Led by the Taoist nun, Qin Yu and his companion arrived at the Qingyun Temple's reception room.
"The abbot will be here shortly, please wait a moment!"
The nun bowed to them and then retreated.
With no outsiders around, Qin Yu carefully examined the room's furnishings.
There were several statues of gods, each larger than a person, standing nearby. They all had solemn expressions, and incense burners were placed in front of them.
Judging from this incense ash, someone must be diligently cleaning this place.
Just as he was taking a look around, he heard footsteps behind him.
Qin Yu quickly turned around and looked.
A beautiful woman dressed in a blue Taoist robe walked in.
Her high-coiled tai chi bun was decorated with only a single sandalwood hairpin, making her look very clean and neat.
Most importantly, her stunning beauty was in no way inferior to that of the concubines in the imperial harem.
With a blank expression, Liu Caiqing walked up to Qin Yu and bowed.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects!"
"No need for formalities!"
Qin Yu coughed lightly, regaining his composure, and raised his hand slightly.
But Liu Caiqing didn't even glance at him, her eyes always lowered.
This person is truly arrogant to dare to show disrespect to the Emperor!
Qin Yu frowned imperceptibly, then came up with a plan, put his hands behind his back, and acted nonchalantly.
"I have come today to ask the abbot how the elixir of immortality is progressing?"
Upon hearing this, a flash of disdain crossed Liu Caiqing's eyes.
"I haven't mastered it yet. If Your Majesty has nothing else to attend to, please take your leave. I have other matters to attend to and fear I may have failed to provide adequate hospitality or offend Your Majesty!"
After saying that, she raised her hand and was about to leave.
Fearless of imperial power, that's interesting.
Qin Yu took out the jade pendant from his bosom and quickly spoke up to stop him.
"Wait! Abbot, why don't you take a look at this first!"
Liu Caiqing subconsciously looked up and recognized him at a glance.
She raised her arm, took the jade pendant, and carefully stroked and examined it.
After a moment, she raised her eyes, frowned, looked at Qin Yu, and asked in a cold tone.
How did this jade pendant end up in your hands?
Could it be that the Duke of Zhuguo has already met with a terrible fate?
Qin Yu raised an eyebrow and answered.
"It was naturally a gift from the Duke of the State!"
Anfu, who was behind her, was afraid that she wouldn't believe him, so he spoke up to corroborate her statement.
"This old servant can testify that His Majesty truly repented and intended to cleanse the court. He specifically paid a visit to the Duke of Zhuguo, and the Duke of Zhuguo, upon learning of His Majesty's intentions, bestowed the jade pendant upon him to provide assistance!"
Anfu is a senior member of the palace and is extremely loyal to the Emperor; he would never joke about such a matter.
This time, Liu Caiqing believed it.
She remained silent for a long time, then closed her hands, tightly gripping the jade pendant, and bowed to Qin Yu.
"Your subject, Liu Caiqing, is willing to serve Your Majesty!"
"No need for formalities. Actually, I haven't come here today for the elixir of immortality, but rather to seek guidance from the Abbot. Currently, I am in the palace, and my every move is under Sima Lie's surveillance, making my actions extremely inconvenient. I am very distressed by this, and I wonder if the Abbot has any way to help me escape this predicament?"
Qin Yu waved his hand, responding with a troubled expression.
Upon hearing this, Liu Caiqing showed no worry on her face. Instead, she gently pursed her lips and calmly spoke.
"Your Majesty, rest assured, I have already made preparations for this matter! Please, Your Majesty, come with me!"
Led by Liu Caiqing, Qin Yu wandered around and finally arrived at a secluded study.
Once inside, she moved the lamp on the table, and the bookshelf behind it immediately started to rumble and move, revealing the wall behind it.
Could there be some secret passage here?
Qin Yu stared intently at the wall with curiosity.
But there wasn't a single crack visible on the wall.
Liu Caiqing stepped forward and gently pressed a button. The wall in front of her immediately rotated, revealing a dark hole.
"What... what is this?"
Qin Yu's eyes widened, a hint of excitement stirring within him.
Did he actually guess right?
Liu Caiqing glanced at the secret passage and began to explain.
"This is a secret passage leading outside the palace. Back when the Northern Darkness Sect rebelled, after the late emperor suppressed it, he discussed with his master, Yu Xuanzi, to dig this secret passage leading outside the palace as a precaution. Now, apart from me and the emperor, no one else knows about this secret passage. It will definitely not be discovered by Sima Lie, so Your Majesty can rest assured!"
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