The emperor summoned
While playing with Cha Suxun, on the slope, in the darkness of the forest, a pair of vertical pupils lit up, the branches shook, the leaves rustled and collided with each other, and a cold and howling mountain wind came from behind the vertical pupils.
"All the hairpins are in your hands. I only have that one. Even if you kill me, I don't know where the others are. What else do you want? Are you going to kill us all?"
She took a few steps back, protecting Chi Huai behind her, fearing that the weasel would jump over the wall and attack Chi Huai. Then, she grabbed Cha Suxun, who had already taken a step forward.
"Chi Huai has Ling Yan's spiritual vine root inside her body. If Ling Yan's true body is planted on the spiritual vine root, and if Chi Huai is willing to become her nutrient, the two will coexist. When we met, I promised you that I would help you save Ling Yan, and I will definitely help you."
"How can I trust you again? I originally thought you were kindhearted and different from those who wanted to snatch the jade hairpin, but I didn't expect that the person who stole my hairpin in the end would be you. People's hearts are all evil and greedy!"
After baring his teeth and cursing, the weasel retracted his fangs, remembering the girl's kindness in helping him kill the vine monster while preserving Linggui's body. He said angrily but helplessly, "Girl, please come down the mountain. You have done me a favor, so I won't harm your life. But if you insist on entering the deep mountains, I will still fight with my own life."
With Cha Suxun by her side, it was difficult to explain why she needed the jade hairpin. She could only avoid answering the weasel's question and said bluntly, "No matter what, the method I'm going to tell you is the safest. Whether to save her or not, to believe in her or not, is entirely up to you."
Looking at Chi Huai behind her, the weasel felt a torment and entanglement in his heart, anxious but powerless. Ling Luo's soul thread was dissipating, and he had no other choice, but he didn't dare to trust others easily.
There was a long silence, until Cha Suxun grew impatient and pulled Yuanli up, intending to turn and leave. The weasel gritted his teeth and shouted, "Help! What do you want me to do?"
"While Chi Huai is serving as Ling Qiong's nourishment, you must be extra careful to protect their safety until Ling Qiong is born. As for the rest... you can ask Chi Huai if he has any requirements. This method requires Chi Huai's willingness. If he shows any resistance or stops secreting nutrients, the method will fail."
Yuanli stepped aside and stood aside. The weasel walked straight towards Chi Huai from the hillside. Chi Huai swallowed nervously, secretly casting a frightened look at Yuanli while pretending to be calm in front of the weasel.
"Please, save Lingqi. Since she saved you in the past, I will agree to anything you ask." The weasel begged.
Chi Huai was terrified, but he mustered his courage. He imitated Yuan Li's warning and said, "I have a father and a brother at home. I'm worried about them, but I can't bear to lie and disappear and upset them. Do you demons all have the ability to transform? If you can pretend to be me and continue living in the village, fulfilling your filial duties for me, and living out the rest of your life, I'll agree to be her nourishment without distraction."
"Okay, I'll do my best to pretend you're alive and stay undetected. But you have to understand that if I become you, your father, your brother, and everyone else in the village will be in my power. I'll return to the mountains every night to check on the spirits. If I find you're not doing your best, I'll kill them instantly."
Although he threatened and warned Chi Huai fiercely, he also hoped that he would have a conscience, empathize with him, and take good care of Ling Luo.
The two sides reached a consensus and went down the mountain. On Chi Huai's last day as a mortal, he visited the three families respectively.
In the first few days after the weasel replaced Chi Huai, Yuanli couldn't help but worry every day that it would be exposed. After all, the two had very different personalities. It was often outspoken and confused and puzzled about some of the concerns of mortals.
After about half a month, the weasel still couldn't change some of its character habits, but fortunately, Chi Yu seemed to have been interacting a lot with Sister Chi Yu recently and was busy.
Just right.
More than two months later.
Yuanli and Qi Heng followed the palace maids to the imperial study for an audience. Although they were reluctant to see that man, they were even more happy about being engaged to Qi Heng.
A month ago, Qi Heng arrived with the imperial decree granting her marriage, so fast that eight horses died in a hurry. The wedding was set for Qixi Festival. They were supposed to be together briefly before parting again, until Qi Heng arrived to marry her. However, the Emperor of Western Xinjiang personally summoned her to the palace for an audience. Qi Heng escorted her, and her father sent Chi Xun to accompany her for protection.
"I heard that you, my dear, have worked so hard to get my imperial decree for your marriage that you killed several horses. I am very curious about what kind of woman could catch the eye of the young man from the Qi family and hold his head high."
"I, Chi Li, the commoner, kowtow to the Holy Spirit."
The emperor's face cannot be looked directly at. After paying his respects, Chi Li knelt straight and raised his head, his eyes slightly lowered. However, he could see from the corner of his eye that Xiao Yan'an looked much older now. He sat hunched over on the dragon throne, and seemed to be a little sick.
Xiao Yan'an hesitated to speak, his face showing no joy. After a long silence, he slowly spoke, "Her hands are as soft as catkins, her skin is as white as cream, her neck is as smooth as a cicada, her teeth are as white as a gourd, her forehead is as delicate as a slender bead, her eyebrows are as beautiful as moths, her smile is charming, her eyes are longing... She is indeed a beauty."
"Thank you for the compliment, Your Majesty."
Xiao Yan'an nodded several times, his eyes slightly red. He sighed and predicted, "You look about 80% like my empress. If I were more blessed and could stay with my empress forever, I'm sure our little princess would be as old as you..."
"It is a blessing accumulated over many generations that my appearance bears a passing resemblance to the Emperor and Empress. Your Majesty and the Emperor and Empress... your love is truly enviable."
Xiao Yan'an was in a good mood, and seemed to have a special meaning: "As you said, you are born blessed. If you want, your husband will definitely treat you like this in the future."
Hearing this, Qi Heng's bright smile gradually faded, and even his brows furrowed slightly. "Your Majesty is a role model for men in the world. In the future, I will treat Chi Li well. We will be one as husband and wife, and stay together until we grow old together. Only then will I live up to Your Majesty's favor of marriage."
"Then my dear, you must seize this marriage opportunity." Xiao Yan'an stared at Qi Heng with a smile on his face, not taking Qi Heng's words to heart.
A young and energetic boy.
"Your hometown is far away, and it would be inappropriate for you to live alone in an inn. Since you have a connection with the Emperor and Empress, I will allow you to live in the Emperor and Empress' Palace before you return home."
"Your Majesty!"
"Why are you so excited, my dear? I'm asking Chi Li to stay in the Empress' Palace for a while, not asking you to stay there." Xiao Yan'an changed his sitting position and ordered him to leave: "Okay, my dear, you still have guests at home, so you should go home and entertain them."
"Your Majesty, I dare to say that the Empress' Palace is the residence of the Queen Mother..."
Xiao Yan'an interrupted Qi Heng with an unhappy look on his face and asked, "Do you think my reward was wrong?"
"I dare not."
Xiao Yan'an just raised his eyelids, and the eunuch serving beside him walked up to Qi Heng with great tact and asked him to leave as he was hesitant and worried.
In the vast imperial study, only she and Xiao Yan'an were left. It was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Yuanli felt deeply oppressed, not even daring to breathe, trying to minimize her presence.
After a long silence, Xiao Yan'an did not say anything. He just sat on the chair and flipped through the memorial in his hand, which he had never changed.
After standing like this for a long time, Yuanli's feet were sore, so she could only put her center of gravity on one foot, and move the other foot slowly in the shoe to relax, switching back and forth.
"It was my negligence. Please find a seat by yourself."
Yuanli didn't bother to be polite with him and walked straight to a chair a little further away from him. Before she sat down, she heard Xiao Yan'an say softly behind her: "I am scary?"
"Your Majesty is not to be feared."
"Then why do you sit so far away?"
"I don't understand the rules of the imperial palace. I only know that in the village, I have to sit away from the Venerable."
Xiao Yan'an put down the memorial in his hand, looked at her, and said helplessly: "How can I talk to you when you sit so far away? Besides me, you are the most honorable person here, and you are the only one who can sit closer."
Yuanli moved to the nearest stool and sat down. Before Xiao Yan'an could say anything else, Yuanli took the initiative to say, "Your Majesty is very busy with government affairs. I am sorry to bother you here. Please allow me to leave first."
"I have finished my government affairs, and only have this one thorny matter left. You are intelligent, why don't you think about it for me?"
Xiao Yan'an seemed to be guessing what she was going to say next to try to evade him. Without giving her a chance to refuse, he said bluntly, "The Emperor and Empress have passed away for many years, and the throne has been vacant until now. Many ministers in the court have objections to this, and they have taken every opportunity to submit memorials, saying that the Empress's position cannot be left vacant for long, and that a legitimate prince cannot be left without one either. Chi Li, what do you think I should do?"
"Your Majesty, your statement that the ministers have been urging you to appoint a successor wasn't made overnight. Since nothing has been decided for so many years, I'm just an ordinary woman, and my experience is limited to my hometown. How can I possibly know what Your Majesty, as the Son of Heaven, should do?"
When mentioning the word "Son of Heaven", Yuanli deliberately emphasized the pronunciation a little bit as a reminder.
The Emperor and Empress Palace is located in the center of the entire imperial palace, and Xiao Yan'an's bedroom is almost half surrounded by it. Xiao Yan'an demolished all the palaces outside his bedroom to build this Emperor and Empress Palace, which is extremely luxurious.
When you step into the Emperor and Empress' Palace, you will find that it is fully equipped with exhibits and even cleaning services. It is so lively that it seems as if a favored master really lives there.
"Chi Li, I don't like beating around the bush with others. Qi Heng is just a Dali Temple official. Even if he climbs to a high position in this life, he is still just a minister. But I am different. I am the Son of Heaven. Apart from making your child the crown prince and letting you become the empress and empress dowager of this Western Frontier, I can satisfy you with anything you want. With this face, you don't need to do anything to please me, I will favor you exclusively."
"Your Majesty, please respect yourself. I am engaged to Master Qi."
"I know, I can give you thousands of noble new identities."
"But His Majesty only likes this face of mine."
Xiao Yan'an looked at her with tenderness in his eyes, but it was obvious that he was looking through her face at the person in his heart.
He spoke softly, "What else could it be? Every woman who enters this harem has some resemblance to the Emperor and Empress. But you are different. You and the Emperor and Empress are so much alike, so much alike... so alike that I am even a little dazed."
She seemed to have seen a similar look in Wen Yici's eyes.
This kind of…
The look towards the replacement...
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