My Tea Tracing
Yuanli's lips twitched as she heard this, feeling somewhat embarrassed. "So...how does Ah Cha want me to take responsibility?"
"Innocence is a man's best dowry. Let's not talk about whether you've touched places you shouldn't have touched every time you rushed into my bed in a panic. Almost the entire underworld knows that I slept with you for tens of thousands of years, a man and a woman alone in a room... Even if nothing happened between us, would they believe it? Of course, I only heard this long after you left, which made it impossible for me to keep it all to myself. I'm sorry. In short, for you and me, we should both be responsible for each other. Do you understand? Mortals say that I can't repay the favor of saving my life, but I am willing to repay you with my body. Ah Li is the perfect way to repay both favors."
No matter how Yuanli thought about it, she felt that Cha Suxun wanted her to marry him, but she also felt that her idea was too absurd and outrageous, so she was hesitant to ask.
"In simple terms, you must marry me."
After hearing this, Yuanli felt extremely terrified and waved her hands repeatedly, saying, "No, no."
"You're willing to work like a slave and go through fire and water, but you can't marry me. Is marrying me more difficult than working like a slave and going through fire and water for me? Ah Li, don't you want me in your life?"
"No, no, no. To me, Ah Cha is a noble person of great value, as sacred as gods and bodhisattvas are to mortals. Your future wife should be someone as worthy as Li Wan, or even someone even more dazzling. I am deeply blessed to have been able to share the same palace with you for ten thousand years. It's unbelievable when I think about it, let alone marrying you, something I couldn't even dream of."
"In your eyes, am I really as beautiful as you described?" Cha Suxun stared at her lips intently, eager for her answer.
He wanted to hear her say yes, but he was also particularly afraid of her saying yes. Yuanli had portrayed him as too deified, like a loyal minister looking up to the emperor, like a mortal praying in a temple, afraid to look directly at the deity he believed in. She didn't dare even consider him in her selection of a future husband, let alone the hope of him falling in love with her over time.
The last sentence made him even more afraid. He didn't dare to hope for Li Wan either. Until he became Chi Xun, he wanted to fight for hope once again.
"Every word is true."
"But I don't want you to worship me as an untouchable god. I want you to treat me as an ordinary man who loves you, just like you treat Chi Xun, Wen Yici, and Qi Heng."
Cha Suxun's words were like a thunderbolt, shocking her so much that she was speechless and couldn't recover for a long time. From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of her face in the brass mirror on the dressing table. The words Xue Gu had said mixed with Cha Suxun's words, repeating over and over in her mind.
You should feel lucky, little monster...
You got this because of your face...
"Did what I said today scare you? Asking you to take responsibility for me and marry me was just a joke. You don't need to take responsibility for me. I'm happy with it. But the feelings I've expressed to you are genuine."
"A-Cha, on the other side of the river, why did you pick me up? I asked you this when the cat demon case was concluded, but you didn't answer me. Now, I'll ask you again, on the other side of the river, why did you pick me up?"
As she expected, Cha Suxun hesitated to speak several times, feeling embarrassed and uneasy, and finally fell silent, avoiding her gaze.
"Is it because... my transformed true form looks a lot like Li Wan, whom you love so deeply?"
Seeing Cha Suxun still silent, Yuanli continued, "Even if you don't answer me, I've already guessed about 70% of it. Your boundless tolerance and special favor for me, the innate love that Emperor Hengjin carries with him even in his reincarnation, and the attitude of Tianshu Xingjun and those exotic beasts who worship Li Wan towards me, I can only receive these special favors because of the influence of Demon Lord Li Wan. Xue Gu is right, I should feel lucky. If not, I'm afraid I wouldn't know where I'm hiding now. I'm asking questions because I'm unwilling to give up and want to hear the definitive answer with my own ears. No one is born to be someone else's substitute, and I am no exception. But I still have a heart of gratitude and respect for her. It is the afterglow of her blessing that has protected my life."
Seeing the complicated expression on Cha Suxun's face, Yuanli stood up and knelt at his feet. Cha Suxun immediately reached out to pull her up, but she shook her head in refusal, then looked up at him and reached out to smooth his frown.
"No matter why you brought me back to the Netherworld, you saved my life, rescued me from those bleak, even dark days of escape. From the moment I woke in your chambers, I secretly vowed to repay you. When I complete my mission in the heavens, I will resign my priesthood, leave the divine register, and return to the Netherworld, to be by your side. Whether it's the Eternal Night Candle or a substitute, as long as you are happy, I will do anything. I have nothing, my cultivation is low, and I have no power or status, so this is the only way to repay you."
As soon as she finished speaking, there was a commotion outside the palace gate. One of the women had a particularly sharp and harsh voice, and she was getting closer and closer to the palace gate.
After the crisp sound of slapping, the headmaster sternly dissuaded: "Come here! Hold her down! Are you all dead? How dare you let her run wild here? Arrest her immediately and report to His Majesty. Empress Shufei! This is the Emperor's Palace, and you will not be allowed to act wildly! I'm afraid that Empress Shufei has been in the palace for many years and has forgotten His Majesty's orders. Anyone who trespasses into the Emperor's Palace without the Emperor's summons will be killed with all his nine clans!"
"Let me go! Who do you think you are? How dare you stop me? My mother's family is an old minister who assisted His Majesty in ascending the throne. Since I entered the palace, His Majesty has issued an order allowing me to move freely in this palace."
The head steward calmly replied, "These damned slaves who dared to let you in did so because His Majesty remembered your mother's contributions. They dared to do such a thing that would have killed their entire clan. His Majesty has allowed you to move freely in this palace, but didn't the nanny teach you that no imperial decree except one stamped with the seals of the Emperor and Empress has any effect in the Imperial and Empress Palaces."
After listening for a while, Yuanli got the general idea and didn't bother to care about the chaos in the harem, although it was a bit noisy.
But she was also a little worried about the situation outside the palace. She was afraid that the commotion outside the palace would make Xiao Yan'an unhappy again. If she didn't do anything about it, who knew how many people would die.
However, the problems at hand have not been solved yet, so how can I care about saving others?
"Yuanli, on the other side of the river, I can't reveal the reason why I picked you up, or anything I haven't told you yet. When the time comes, if you ask, I will tell you the truth, without a single lie. I don't know what others think, or why they treat you the way they do, but I have never treated you as a substitute for Li Wan, simply because you are you. My love for you has been pure and unadulterated since its inception, as witnessed by the heavens and the earth, and the sun and the moon. If I, Cha Suxun, show even the slightest falseness in my treatment of you, I will be punished by heaven and earth, and my body and soul will vanish."
Cha Suxun helped her up, leaned over and patted her dress at the knees with his hands covered by his sleeves.
"You've already repaid my kindness, so there's no need to repay it again. Let's put it past now. From now on, we'll just be close friends and family. Now that you're a god, do your best. I never really thought of using any favor to force you into doing anything. I was inconsiderate in teasing you today. I felt a little confused and panicked. I deeply apologize for my abrupt words. Go and deal with the matters outside the palace."
After saying this, Cha Suxun suddenly transformed into countless fluttering butterflies and disappeared before their eyes.
Everything she heard, saw, and experienced today, every single thing, was difficult for Yuanli to digest and she was at a loss.
As soon as Yuanli opened the door of the palace, she saw a large group of people outside the palace kneeling down and kowtowing to her. The originally noisy courtyard became silent.
The so-called Shu Fei was kneeling on the ground, two knives on her neck, looking up at her fiercely. She didn't look much like her, but apart from her appearance, her figure and clothing were somewhat similar to her in her previous life.
In the distance, the eunuchs who served the emperor hurried over with their men. The leader, upon noticing she had opened the door, hurried even faster. If it weren't for the rules, they would have run.
"I have no intention of plotting against you. You have chosen the wrong enemy. Return to your own palace before His Majesty's punishment arrives. You have the ability to make it to my palace today without any harm. Perhaps you can save your life by doing so."
After two lifetimes together, Yuanli knows Xiao Yan'an better than anyone else. Besides being a love-struck man, he's also a wise ruler who values his country. Whether Shu Fei can save her life depends on this.
Unexpectedly, the well-intentioned advice was seen by Shu Fei as a show of arrogance and ridicule.
"Bah! My mother's family is a veteran minister who assisted Your Majesty in ascending the throne. Since I entered the palace, Your Majesty has favored me exclusively. Even when I made mistakes, he never blamed me. The honors and favors bestowed upon the Imperial Palace belonged to the late Emperor and Empress, not to you, a Royal Noble Consort who hasn't even undergone the enthronement ceremony! You have no right to mock me here! It must be you who whispered slanderous words into His Majesty's ear, which led to my unwarranted demotion!"
"If you had put all that thought into choosing a soft pillow for your bed at night, you wouldn't have lost your mind. You wouldn't have rushed in recklessly and said things you didn't want to say, destroying the legacy your mother's family built."
"Bitch! How dare you curse me in a roundabout way! I'll…"
Before Shu Fei could finish her words, the steward shouted angrily, "Hold her down! Block her mouth!"
The imperial eunuch arrived breathlessly, bowed, and flattered, "Your Majesty, His Majesty is discussing state affairs and cannot get away. He has sent this servant to deliver a message. Please do not cause trouble for someone who is not worthy. I will come back after His Majesty has finished dealing with state affairs."
After saying this, the imperial eunuch turned around and put on a serious face, "His Majesty has ordered that Concubine Shu be stripped of her title and demoted to a cripple for treason. Wu Zhao has entered the empress's palace without permission, defying the imperial decree. His entire clan should be executed. However, I, remembering the merits of your mother's family and their loyal ministers, will grant you a chance to atone for your sins. Entry into the empress's palace requires the emperor and empress's permission. If you receive this permission within three days, your entire clan will be protected."
Upon hearing this, Shu Fei instantly collapsed to the ground and became incontinent out of fear.
"What kind of opportunity is this? The late Emperor and Empress have been dead for ages! How can I possibly get her approval?"
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