Chapter 3 Chapter 3 "Do they still dare to rebel?" ...
Jiu Zhao didn't think too much about Yingluo's words.
In her opinion, these were the other party's common tactics.
He made a few seemingly plausible sighs, but did not point out who was unwilling to be together as a couple.
All the words he said were meant to belittle himself, yet he still had to act kind, decent, tolerant and generous.
After five hundred years, Yingluo still looks so annoying.
She was deceived once, and she won't be deceived a second time.
With such a good opportunity in front of him, Jiu Zhao decided to vent his anger.
She frowned, rolled up her sleeves and took a big step forward, as if ready to attack, but was quickly pulled down by the maid.
"Your Highness, those fairies from the West Sea are the most fond of gossiping. If you start arguing with them right after the banquet ends, I'm afraid the entire Sanqing Heaven will be filled with rumors of you abusing your power to bully others tomorrow..."
"People's words are terrible, Your Highness—"
The maid used the technique of whispering secrets into Jiu Zhao's ears, and spoke quickly and urgently, fearing that Jiu Zhao would become impatient and start a fight after listening to her.
But it turned out that whether Jiu Zhao listened to her advice or not, he would not take her advice to heart.
She pulled away the maid's hand that was grabbing her sleeve and immediately coughed violently.
Deep in the flowers, everything was silent in the blink of an eye.
Jiu Zhao did not urge them. He proudly straightened his shoulders, half-wrapped his shawl, and waited for them to come and greet him.
Half a breath later, someone reacted first, and the sound of rustling clothes could be heard from the quiet forest.
A lilac figure slowly stepped out, leading two or three female fairies in a deep bow towards Jiu Zhao: "Ying Luo greets Her Highness the Divine Princess."
Although she was caught for speaking ill of others behind their backs in collusion with a small group, there was no sign of panic on Ying Luo's beautiful face.
Jiu Zhao cursed him inwardly for being shameless, squinting his eyes and said coldly, "It's been a long time."
Yingluo's eyes flickered slightly as she replied softly, "Your Highness is right. However, Yingluo heard your highness's bright expression as he spoke, and she assumed that during the time we hadn't seen each other, everything had been going well for you and that everything was going as you wished."
Everything is fine.
Everything goes as planned.
Others may not understand why she lives in seclusion, but Yingluo, the daughter of a close minister who often visits Sanqingtian, would know it.
The dormant anger that had been suppressed rose steadily amid the other party's overt and subtle greetings.
Jiu Zhao narrowed his eyes and slowly gnashed his teeth, emitting a dangerous aura. "Princess Yingluo, please do not worry about whether I am satisfied. However, the Xuanji Palace banquet is over. Why are you lingering in the small garden instead of saying goodbye and leaving?"
Ying Luo: "Fairy Huanpo accidentally soiled her dress at the banquet and wanted to find a quiet place to clean it up before leaving, so I am here to accompany her."
"oh."
Jiu Zhao looked around at the female fairies in front of him and asked, "Which one is Huanpo?"
The female fairy whose name was called spoke in a panic, "Your Highness, Huanpo is my name."
Jiu Zhao was deeply impressed by her.
The scene of back-slapping in the flowers just now was talked about most enthusiastically by this Huanpo.
Two pairs of eyes focused on the female fairy. She saw her pretending to be calm as she walked forward from the end of the crowd, her expression showing a guilty conscience that was trying to hide.
Huanpo was still young and had heard of Jiuzhao's countless bad reputations, but had never had the chance to meet him.
She didn't dare to look up at Jiu Zhao's appearance. Relying only on stereotypes, countless scenes of herself being punished flashed through her mind.
In her anxiety, she raised her hands but they trembled and she actually made the wrong gesture.
...stupid thing.
It is hard to justify not being punished when making such a mistake upon mistake.
Jiu Zhao sighed pretentiously, "I think it's been so long since I've appeared in public that the immortals have forgotten about me, the Divine Princess. I even made mistakes in the most basic greetings. Does Fairy Huanpo not take me seriously, or is this the norm throughout the West Sea?"
At the end of his words, Jiu Zhao's tone became slightly sharp.
After putting on this tall hat, Yingluo immediately turned her head to look at the trembling Huanpo: "Why don't you greet His Highness again!"
How could Jiu Zhao let go of his mistake so easily?
"Wait a minute."
She stopped Huanpo's movements and lowered her eyes to admire the nail polish on her nails. "Since you've made a mistake, it's my duty to teach you about the etiquette and rules of the West Sea. Otherwise, you'll make a fool of yourself in front of my Father God in the future, and people will mistakenly think that the West Sea has rebellious intentions."
Ying Luo frowned slightly: "What do you think, Your Highness..."
Jiu Zhao glanced at her, and no matter what happened inside, the maid who had always been on the same page with her in front of outsiders immediately let go of her hand.
She gestured to demonstrate.
He knelt down, his hands folded on the ground, and said solemnly, "All the immortals of the West Sea greet Her Majesty the Princess."
Jiu Zhao clapped his hands and laughed, "That's right—your manners in the West Sea are not even as good as those of the maids around me."
The rules of Sanqingtian are very strict. When a minister meets the emperor, the most formal etiquette is to kowtow.
However, the God Emperor was kind and benevolent, and except for major festivals dedicated to heaven and earth, he would grant simple rituals at other times. Therefore, more prominent gods and immortals only needed to bow deeply on ordinary days - performing this ritual outside of festivals was either a sign of extremely low status or a sign of sin.
Huanpo is the daughter of a high-ranking Golden Immortal from the West Sea. She is proud and arrogant, and feels humiliated by Jiuzhao's request.
She suddenly raised her head, tears welling up in her eyes.
Jiu Zhao was hard-hearted and didn't fall for her tricks. She turned away and leisurely gazed at the garden scenery. The maidservant beside her spoke up for her and mocked her, "Fairy Huanpo is worthy of being born in the West Sea. Her whole body is made of water, and she cries at the slightest provocation."
Huanpo's eyes widened: "You!"
Ying Luo watched for a moment, and seeing the situation escalate, he quickly led the others to kneel and apologize: "Your Highness, I—"
There was a stalemate here, and several other figures were gradually approaching.
After discussing the war, Fuxu followed the God Emperor and saw a group of female fairies kneeling in front of Jiuzhao.
The leader was Yingluo, the woman whose marriage intention her father had once hinted at.
"Zhao'er, what are you doing?"
Seeing his father who always loved him, Jiu Zhao smiled and greeted him loudly: "Zhao'er greets Father God!"
She trotted over to the Divine Emperor's side, pushing the Fuxu away completely. The Fuxu flowers on her skirt brushed against his instep. "In reply to Father God, the Fairy Huanpo of the West Sea came to greet me but accidentally misbehaved. So I'm here to give them some advice."
Fu Xu stopped and his eyebrows twitched when he heard the words.
Huanpo, who made the mistake, did not kneel, but the others all knelt down in order to appease Jiuzhao's anger.
If this gets out, it will really...
However, with the God Emperor in front of him, he had no room to speak.
At this moment, Huanpo, who had been stubbornly refusing to kneel, suddenly fell to the ground with a thud. "All the mistakes were made by Huanpo alone. Please, Your Highness, do not make things difficult for the other fairies of the West Sea. Huanpo will accept any beating or punishment without complaint or regret!"
After saying this, she ignored the expressions of the others present and began to kowtow.
The right and wrong of the matter had not yet been defined, and was only waiting for the judgment of the God Emperor.
Huanpo's actions subtly changed the direction of the wind.
"What are you doing, Qiao Zhang? I'm just—"
Jiu Zhao couldn't stand her hypocritical behavior and was about to argue, but was interrupted by the God Emperor: "Alright, Zhao'er."
Calling out Jiu Zhao's nickname, the God Emperor didn't continue. He watched Huan Po kowtow fifty times before saying nonchalantly, "Since we haven't seen each other for a hundred years, it's only fitting that the West Sea immortals pay you this great respect. Now that the formalities are complete, you may depart early and don't keep the God King waiting."
The Divine Emperor's words were nothing more than an attempt to reduce a major conflict to a minor one.
Huanpo's forehead was red and swollen from the collision, but he only got the worst result, so he was naturally unwilling to accept it.
She was used to speaking without restraint at home, and with tears in her eyes she wanted to accuse Jiu Zhao of a crime.
However, before she could open her mouth, a flash of inspiration came to her mind, and her upper and lower lips were tightly glued together by the silencing spell.
Ying Luo, unleashing her immortal magic, firmly grasped Huan Po's wrist as he struggled, unfazed by the Divine Emperor's partiality and prevarication. She tilted her head, saluted Fu Xu with her eyes, then offered Jiu Zhao a gentle, soft smile before respectfully saying, "Then we shall take our leave."
…
On the way back to Erqingtian in the gorgeous celestial chariot, Jiuzhao felt much better.
So what if love doesn’t go well?
Even if a hundred more men came, none of them would treat her better than the Father.
As soon as the Divine Emperor spoke, he forcibly changed the nature of the punishment that Huanpo had described as being inflicted by Jiu Zhao, turning it into a ceremonial greeting from the West Sea Immortal Clan to the Crown Prince. What had originally been a pretense of kowtow, unless pardoned by the higher-ups, had to be carried out, leaving her forehead red.
Jiu Zhao recalled Huanpo's embarrassing look and couldn't help but chuckle.
She supported her chin with one hand and lifted the curtain of the celestial chariot with the other, humming a song as she looked at the beautiful clouds in the sky.
In the quiet and peaceful atmosphere, the person next to him suddenly said, "Your Highness, you shouldn't do this."
"The God Emperor has always been lenient towards his subjects, but because of your case, he has shown partiality and favoritism. If this continues, the immortals will surely be dissatisfied."
The journey to Erqingtian only takes half an incense stick of time, and it will be over soon if you are patient.
Jiu Zhao was too lazy to talk nonsense with him. She continued to sing and looked at the scenery farther away, ignoring him.
"Your Highness."
Fu Xu's eyebrows jumped again, and he called her again in a deep voice.
"Ah, are you talking to me?"
Jiu Zhao then pointed at herself, her pretty face full of confusion.
"Did Your Highness hear a single word of my admonition just now?"
Facing Fuxu's question, Jiu Zhao tilted his head innocently: "I'm sorry, it's all my fault for never telling you. I've had a physical condition since I was a child. Whenever I hear the noisy words of someone I don't like, my mind will automatically block them out."
“…”
Fu Xu stared into her bright pupils, feeling that there were always endless flames bursting out from them, devouring people's restraint and reason.
He calmed himself down.
He silently thought about the heart-to-heart talk they had when the Divine Emperor had entrusted Jiu Zhao to him. He felt that as the Crown Prince and the Prince's husband, it was his duty to counsel and support her. He then unfolded his words and said to her, "In this matter today, Huanpo was the first to offend Your Highness, but Your Highness can—"
"Why, don't you think I'm deliberately looking for an excuse to make things difficult for your sweetheart—
"But do you really think that Huanpo made a mistake?"
Jiu Zhao rudely cut Fu Xu off, and his tone was filled with a sense of disbelief that the sun was rising from the west.
Whether the other party was right or wrong, he could still make a fuss. This made Fuxu feel so exhausted that he didn't know whether to deal with his beloved's problem first, or whether Huan Po had made any mistakes. After a moment's thought, he felt that Huan Po's matter was more important. He patiently explained, "Although I know that Your Highness is arrogant and willful, you are not someone who cannot distinguish between the important and the unimportant. If there is no real fault in the Xuanji Palace Banquet hosted by the Emperor, you would not choose to punish here."
It was a rare sight for Fuxu to spit out ivory. Jiuzhao stared at him with a look as if he had discovered a fourth realm beyond the Three Realms, but deliberately contradicted himself: "You explained this matter to me, but deliberately skipped my first question... As expected, I knew that Xihai Zong Ji Yingluo was your sweetheart. So, after your marriage, you left without saying goodbye. Were you trying to keep your virginity for her?"
“…”
A trace of cracking finally appeared on that handsome face that showed no joy or sadness and was cold and unfeeling, and Jiu Zhao felt even happier in his heart.
After winning the game, she put away her unruly attitude, glared at him and said, "Since you know it was the West Sea Immortal Clan who made the mistake, why do you have to say that the Father God is partial to me? Mistakes should be punished, and merits should be rewarded. This has always been human nature. What is the Father God's fault, and what is my fault?
"In life, one must understand that truth requires more than just one's own approval; it also requires the approval of the majority. One's actions and dealings must convince others. I noticed that Huanpo was angry when he left, and now that he has returned, I think rumors of your highness's tyranny will spread again within the West Sea.
"You may be domineering, but I consider myself upright and honest, unlike those villains who love to gossip behind people's backs.
"Besides, even if they are dissatisfied, do they dare to rebel?"
What Jiu Zhao hated most was big moral principles, and his series of rhetorical questions left Fu Xu speechless.
She waited for Fuxu's counterattack, but as the Changxi Palace outside the Tianchariot approached, Fuxu did not utter a single word.
A familiar, uncooperative expression hung over his straight brows. Only when Jiu Zhao's patience ran out and he stood up and stepped off the celestial chariot did he lower his head as if muttering to himself, "With your vindictive nature, how can you lead the Three Pure Heavens and become an enlightened ruler in the future?"
"Father God is as old as the heavens. There will still be time to consider this matter in another 100,000 years."
Jiu Zhao answered quickly without any deep thought.
Thousands of years ago, she had discussed with the God Emperor that she had no intention of becoming emperor, and that it would be better for her husband to rule the Three Pure Heavens in the future.
The God Emperor neither agreed nor refused.
I just thought she was still young, so I decided to walk a few more steps and make some plans.
This issue was a secret between her and the God Emperor that they had agreed not to reveal to any third party, so there was no need to explain it to Fuxu.
Her appearance of being unlearned and refusing to make progress once again made Fuxu's forehead veins pop out.
As they were talking, the two of them dismounted from the Heavenly Paladin. Jiu Zhao, knowing his habits, asked knowingly, "If we don't agree, we shouldn't talk too much. I guess the Supreme God Fuxu doesn't want to stay with me any longer, right? Do you need me to send the Heavenly Paladin to escort you?"
"Need not."
Fu Xu didn't even look at her. He turned around and left with two extremely cold words, and was about to use his magic to leave.
However, the moment the divine art was released, before his body could disintegrate into shimmering crystal fragments and dissipate—
He suddenly fell down.
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