【The Flower Prince 3】

page views:1 Publication date:2023-03-24

My first day at the Imperial Preceptor's Mansion in "The Emperor of Flowers 3"
was spent in a long apprenticeship ceremony. On this day, I formally became an apprentice of Dao Xu, the enemy of Fen Tian. Dao Xu also formally announced me as his disciple, with the Daoist name Xu Qing.
During this ceremony, I met many righteous sect leaders, including the leaders of the other six of the seven major sects of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, and some elders of the One Qi Sect. They were all quite polite to me, their sect leader's disciple. This politeness became even more apparent after they learned that I was also a prince.
I also met Dao Xu's daughter, a very beautiful little girl named Yang Yu Yan. Calling her a little girl makes me sound old; she was already eleven or twelve years old. Wearing a training uniform, she looked heroic and exceptionally beautiful. Such beauty at such a young age—truly a great source of trouble! I sighed inwardly.
When she saw me, she was overjoyed, her loud shouts revealing her excitement: "I have a junior brother! Hehe, I have a junior brother! I'm a senior sister now..."
I was genuinely both amused and exasperated. However, to avoid leaving a bad impression on this "troublemaker," I obediently called her "senior sister."
My apprenticeship seemed to have stirred up various factions within the court. Among my father's sons, I had always seemed so insignificant, so small, as if a world away from the throne. Therefore, no one had ever paid attention to me, the youngest son of the current emperor.
Now, things were different; the most favored imperial advisor had taken me as his disciple. Although Daoxu and I knew there were no hidden secrets, others might not think so. The imperial advisor was the emperor's most trusted person, and everyone speculated that having the most trusted person groom one's future heir was a common suspicion. Therefore, many people began to pay attention to me, believing I had received special favor from my father and was about to become the future heir to the throne. Suddenly, I, the most insignificant prince, became quite the celebrity.
Although I've certainly stolen the limelight, I don't think it's a good thing.
The tallest tree in the forest catches the most wind.
If I had no ambitions, it wouldn't be so bad. But now I have the ambition to become emperor. Therefore, this situation poses a fatal threat to my future actions. So, I'm quite resentful of Daoxu in my heart.
However, regardless, I've already become his disciple. The fear of being besieged by everyone didn't happen. This allowed me to breathe a long sigh of relief.
But I didn't expect to suffer half a year of abuse from Daoxu for this.
Here's what happened: Because my becoming the current Imperial Preceptor's disciple was a done deal, no one could say anything. But not being able to say anything doesn't mean not being able to do anything. The day after I became his disciple, my four elder brothers expressed their will to our father and Daoxu in various ways. To put it bluntly, they didn't want me to be the only one shining in the spotlight. They were putting pressure on the two elders, hoping to gain their own benefits—to also become disciples of the Imperial Preceptor Yang Yu.
Thus, under Daoxu's petty-mindedness, he replied to the princes: "Let's consider it." He considered this for half a year. During that time, he desperately fed me all sorts of elixirs and miraculous medicines. He chanted incantations and instilled all sorts of nonsensical spells and talismans into me day and night. He also gave me all his magical treasures.
Among them was a divine artifact and several immortal artifacts.
The most powerful of them was the sect's treasure, the Hunyuan Pearl. In my opinion, it was even more powerful than the Mist Concealing Pearl. It had two functions: one was to gather the primordial energy of heaven and earth to help the user circulate their internal true energy at any time; the other was attack, as it could break through almost all restrictions and true energy shields. It also had a characteristic similar to the Mist Concealing Pearl, which was that it could hold a large amount of true energy. With it, I no longer had to worry about the incompatibility between demonic energy and true energy in my dantian.
One was my own inner dantian. Another was the Mist Concealing Pearl that gathered demonic energy. In addition, there was the Hunyuan Pearl that gathered true energy. In this way, I essentially had three dantians.
There was also something worth mentioning, a storage ring, which Dao Xu called the One Qi Ring. It's the sect leader's token of the One Qi Sect, a symbol of the sect leader's status. When he gave it to me, he instructed me that I could use it to become the sect leader of the One Qi Sect after his death. To be honest, I was really touched when he gave me this ring. He's so adorable. He gave me the sect leader's ring so easily. We've only known each other for less than three days.
If this storage ring only contained that, I wouldn't be so excited. What excites me is what it contains. Besides some spiritual pills needed for cultivation, there's also a ring inside. I recognized it at a glance—it's Fen Tian's storage ring—the Demon Ring.
The Demon Ring requires a specific incantation to open, and I clearly remember that it contains all of Fen Tian's treasures. Only by obtaining it can I truly inherit everything from Fen Tian. So, I greedily opened the Demon Ring, like a bloodsucking worm, extracting everything from Fen Tian.
This Demon Ring is also a precious magical artifact. Even better, it's paired with the Mist Concealing Pearl. This Demon Ring was carefully crafted by a senior member of the Demon Sect to enhance the power of the Mist Concealing Pearl. After the seven magic arrays on the Misty Concealment Pearl are activated, they can shrink the emitted demonic energy. By compressing the energy, they can unleash a beam of incredibly powerful light. Previously, the righteous path trembled at its mere mention, and no one dared to withstand its power. The righteous path called it Demonic Light. However, one person did manage to escape its might—Dao Xu. Even Fen Tian didn't expect Dao Xu to escape the power of the Demonic Light, which is why he was defeated by Dao Xu. Now I know that Dao Xu did indeed escape. He used the Chaos Pearl to deflect the Demonic Light.
I understand why Dao Xu trained me so intensely. It was because he didn't want his valuable possessions to fall into the hands of outsiders. In his eyes, my brothers, who put pressure on him and the Emperor, were outsiders. Only I, the one he recognized, was his true disciple. For this, I am extremely grateful to Dao Xu. In fact, for this reason alone, I should sincerely call him "Master."
Six months later, Imperial Preceptor Yang Yu finally succumbed to pressure from several powerful families and accepted four princes, including Yu Tianlong, as his disciples. Besides these four, there were many other scions from the eight great families. Later, I learned that almost all of these scions would later influence me, some for better, some for worse. Moreover, they all eventually gained their own power or demonstrated their abilities.
The Heavenly Dao Alliance calls their cultivation "Cultivation of Truth." They also have detailed levels of cultivation, from lowest to highest: Enlightenment, Separation and Union, Revolving Illumination, Qi Condensation, Precious Appearance, Elixir Completion, Dao Rise, and Nascent Soul. Among these eight stages, the Nascent Soul is a new level added after Dao Xu successfully cultivates. Compared to the Demonic Sect's system, the Heavenly Dao Alliance's system is indeed extremely detailed, and it's all visible in appearance. For example, Precious Appearance looks very solemn and gives off a sense of pressure. In terms of cultivation level, Dao Rise and Elixir Completion are equivalent to the Grandmaster level in the Demonic Sect, both based on the completion of a core within the body; the Demonic Sect calls it a Demonic Core, while the Heavenly Dao Alliance calls it a Golden Core. The "Precious Appearance" stage is equivalent to the Demon General level in the Demon Sect. "Condensing Qi" corresponds to the Demon General level. "Whirling Illumination" is equivalent to the Demon Servant level. "Separation and Union" is the White Demon level. "Consecration" is not included in this category. This is because the first lesson for every cultivator is consecration. No matter how poor your aptitude or how unwilling you are to cultivate, as long as you are a member of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, you must pass the hurdle of consecration. Consecration also has its intricacies. If a master with profound skill performs consecration for you, your level can directly jump to the Separation and Union stage. The person who consecrated me was, of course, Dao Xu, the most powerful figure in the history of the righteous path. If he wanted, he could even have sent me directly to the Condensing Qi stage. However, Dao Xu didn't do that; he didn't even advance me to the Separation and Union stage. He told me at the time, "Cultivation must be taken step by step to be steady and solid. The master leads you in, but your cultivation still depends on yourself."
I didn't say anything at the time. Given Dao Xu's affection for me, he wouldn't harm me. What I didn't know was that Dao Xu not only didn't harm me, but secretly helped me. Cultivation is a difficult thing, and he was afraid I wouldn't be able to endure the hardship, so he used twenty years of his own cultivation power to infuse into my body, and then sealed it away. This way, my cultivation would be twice as effective, progressing rapidly, without any frustration at not being able to advance to the next level. I only learned this later. In
March of the year 2214 in the Continental Calendar, I finally broke through the first level of the One Qi Technique, reaching the second level, Qi Condensation. That is, I reached the Qi Condensation stage.
I've always been puzzled. With my once-in-a-millennium talent, why is it so difficult to cultivate this technique that only the sect leader of the One Qi Sect can practice? It took me so long. You know, in these six and a half years, I spent more than three times as much time on this Breaking Technique as on the Burning Heaven Demon Technique. But the results were disappointing. My true qi is only at the Qi Condensation stage now, roughly at the level of a Demon General in the Demon Sect. However, the demonic art I hadn't been forced to cultivate seriously had already reached thirty percent of the Heaven-Burning Flame, making me a grandmaster-level master in the demonic sect. This huge gap made me incredibly resentful. If Dao Xu hadn't told me it would take him over ten years to reach the second level, I probably would have burned this demonic art long ago.
Now I'm fourteen years old, tall and handsome, and loved by everyone. The most outrageous thing is my eyes. I don't know if it's because of cultivating the Soul-Devouring Technique, but my eyes give people the feeling that they can suck people in. I learned this from Dao Xu, who once exclaimed to me, "Yuan'er, your eyes are truly a curse. Even with my spiritual cultivation, I can't see through the depths in your eyes. Do you feel anything?"
Of course, I wouldn't tell him about my Soul-Devouring Technique cultivation; I could only say I didn't feel anything. But I remembered this, constantly thinking about how to control the attraction in my eyes. Then I thought, this is related to my Soul-Devouring Technique cultivation, why not give it a try? And then I was pleasantly surprised to find that as my Soul-Devouring Technique cultivation increased, the divine light in my eyes grew brighter and brighter.
Daoxu had been talking about that teleportation array for years, and several times I couldn't help but tell him its secrets. But when the words came out, I didn't know how to say them. What if he pressed me to explain where I learned it from?
I also rarely returned to my Tianyuan Residence during these years. It wasn't that I didn't miss home, but rather that I missed it too much. So I needed to cultivate quickly enough to return home and see my beloved Ying'er. However, I did have some entertainment during these years, which was spending time with Yu Tianxiang. Her temper was always unpredictable. She would throw little tantrums at me from time to time. I tried my best to tolerate her. In my heart, she seemed no longer like my sister, but my childhood sweetheart.
This time, I could no longer suppress my longing for home, so I told Daoxu and went back. Daoxu trusted me completely, not even asking where I was going, and even encouraged me to go out and broaden my horizons. His words resonated deeply with me.
Now that my cultivation has come to a close, it's time to go to the Heavenly Pole Sect and settle accounts with the forces that Burning Heaven left me.
I rushed into the Heavenly Fate Residence at top speed, and just as I stopped, a hot, delicate body threw itself into my arms. It was my Ying'er! It had been a year since I last returned. Would she blame me? Just then, a small, red mouth approached my face, and I couldn't help but kiss her…
Sweet saliva flowed into my mouth, and deep affection warmed my heart. Our tongues intertwined passionately. I longed to merge into her body.
At that moment, I hesitated no longer. I raised my head, met Ying'er's questioning gaze, and said affectionately, "Ying'er, from this moment on, I will take responsibility for my own happiness. I'm grown up now, and I want to pursue my own other half. So, Ying'er, I confess to you: I love you! Be my wife. Although I can't give you any title now, I promise that on the day I ascend the throne, I will give you a satisfactory answer."
Having finally spoken the thoughts I had buried in my heart for seven years, my eyes were fixed on Ying'er, afraid she would refuse my request.
Tears blurred my vision, the glistening tears washing away the weariness and sorrow on my face. Ying'er's trembling voice came through: "Tianyuan, do you know how long I've waited to hear these words? From the moment you took me in, there was someone in this world who cared about you. I secretly vowed in my heart: I would repay you with everything I have in the future. Later, as you grew up, I found that I had developed a vague feeling for you. I wasn't afraid; I only felt sweetness. If there was anything else, it was only worry. I was worried that you wouldn't accept me, your older sister who is six years older than you. Later, I noticed that every time you came back, you always liked to lean on me, and I felt that my chance had come. Did you notice? Every time you came back, I would dress up beautifully, hoping to attract your attention. I did attract you, but I was still uneasy. Because you hadn't clearly told me your feelings. So I still treated you like a little brother. Now, the words I've been waiting for have finally come out of the mouth of the one I love. How could I not be excited?"
I never expected Ying'er to have such deep feelings for me. My heart was deeply moved. I could only express my apology by holding her tightly: I'm sorry, sister, I've kept you waiting too long.
Finally, I rushed into the room with Ying'er in my arms.
Ying'er's feelings for me ignited my youthful passion, and lust quietly seeped into my heart. Now, on my first day out, let Ying'er's body be the witness to my dragon emerging from the sea.
Although I had learned all about this kind of thing from Fentian's memories, I had never experienced it myself. Like a reckless calf, I roughly tore off my sister's clothes. Her fair and tender body aroused my masculine desire even more. My lips kissed every inch of Ying'er's skin without restraint. That sweet taste did not make me slow down in the slightest, but instead made my body even hotter.
Ying'er was not displeased by my roughness at all, but indulged herself to the fullest, trying her best to cooperate with all my actions. Every time I was cruel to her body, she would turn it into a sweet sigh of praise.
"...Ah..."
My lower body was already swollen to its limit. I only knew it needed a source of water to relieve its craving. I searched diligently. Ying'er saw my movements and slightly parted her smooth, white legs, revealing my search. I was overjoyed and rushed forward without hesitation...
Ying'er endured the pain of losing her virginity. She didn't cry out weakly, but just looked tenderly at me as I worked hard on her body. Sweetness filled her girlish heart...
After the storm, I hated my own roughness and felt even more heartache for the bruises on Ying'er's body. I slapped myself hard in the face; perhaps only in this way could I temporarily alleviate the guilt in my heart.
Ying'er tenderly stroked the five finger marks on my face, afraid I would continue to torment myself. She changed the subject, saying, "The intelligence network is basically developed now, but because we lack a foundation, we can only access some circulating information. However, the pigeons we use allow us to obtain intelligence in advance, which compensates for some shortcomings. Wait a moment, I'll go get the information on the forces you want to monitor." She was about to get up, but I couldn't let my woman suffer, so I firmly stopped her, asked where the documents were, and went to get them myself.
Holding the thick stack of documents, I couldn't help but feel proud of Ying'er's talent. To obtain so much intelligence without any foundation—she's truly a genius. However, I couldn't help feeling a little proud, not only because this genius was now my woman, but also because I had contributed to it. The pigeon training method was found in Fentian's memories; it was a secret weapon of the Heavenly Pole Sect's own intelligence organization—the Dark Hall. It could greatly reduce the time needed for intelligence transmission, and in intelligence matters, time is of paramount importance.
Holding Ying'er, I began to peruse the intelligence:
First, the Demon Sect. News of Fentian's death reached the Demon Sect in less than a month; it was Fentian's shadow, Gu Yue, who had returned. Upon receiving the news, the demons scattered in all directions. The other four sects of the Demon Sect—the Blood Refining Sect, the Yin Kui Sect, the Flower Language Sect, and the Black Demon Sect—all broke away from the Demon Sect, recruiting disciples throughout the Heavenly Dynasty to accumulate strength and prevent their arch-enemy, the Heavenly Dao Alliance, from taking the opportunity to retaliate.
As a result, only the Heavenly Extreme Sect was supporting the vast Demon Sect.
However, the Heavenly Extreme Sect was extremely fortunate because Dao Xu was not in the One Qi Sect, so the Heavenly Dao Alliance did not easily launch an attack. Instead, the scattered demon cultivators caused the Heavenly Dao Alliance a great deal of trouble. The Heavenly Dao Alliance was temporarily bogged down in these trivial matters.
The arrival of Shadow Gu Yue was not entirely bad; she was the sister of Gu Xing, the leader of the Dark Hall, so appeasing the Dark Hall was not difficult. Later, they also invited Fentian's daughter, Xi Yue'er. Xi Yue'er was temporarily appointed as the sect leader to oversee the overall situation. Later, under Xi Yue'er's identity and Gu Yue's martial prowess, Chi Feng, another hall master of the Tianji Sect, also yielded and acknowledged Xi Yue'er as the acting sect leader. Then, she even established a Demon Ascension Hall, gathering demon cultivators from all walks of life to subdue the scattered demons. For a time, the power of the Tianji Sect rivaled that of the five-sect alliance of demonic sects, becoming the rightful number one demonic sect.
Then there was the Tianji Sect, which had seven major sects. During the chaos of demonic rampage, many rogue cultivators perished. The seven major sects reacted quickly, sending disciples down the mountain to save many rogue cultivators, but this also caused them to miss the best opportunity to eliminate the great threat of demonic cultivation. Later, after the Tianji Sect developed, the Tiandao Alliance saw that it had become a force to be reckoned with, and with four major demonic sects causing trouble around them, they were powerless to help.
This is all intelligence from the martial arts world, the kind I care about most. It's a world teeming with all sorts of characters, and sometimes, wars can be changed by just one or two of them.
But I'm more concerned with intelligence from the imperial court, something Ying'er probably knows as well. Looking at the stack of papers, twice as thick as the martial arts intelligence, I smiled. I realized Ying'er understands me perfectly. How could I not be happy to have such a confidante?
The first sheet of paper contained a poem with little rhyme: "
Two merchants, two politicians, four military merits,
the Yu family's rule over the world is prosperous.
One dragon, eight tigers soar together,
their power overwhelming half of the Celestial Empire.
" It was noted that this was a folk poem, clearly indicating the eight major powers within the Celestial Empire. "One dragon" obviously refers to our Yu family, and the second line directly points to our Yu family's revival of the rule. "Eight tigers" refers to the eight major powers of the Celestial Empire:
"Two merchants, two politicians, four military merits .
" "Two merchants" refers to the two wealthy merchant families of the Celestial Empire, the Qi and Liu families, whose wealth rivaled that of a nation and whose shops were everywhere. Although both families were wealthy, they didn't wield much influence over the court and held little political advantage, so I didn't pay them much attention. However, the "Two Powers" made me nervous. The "Two Powers" referred to the Zhang and Li families, two powerful clans whose influence was primarily in the court. Both families had numerous protégés throughout the court and wielded immense power. The current Left Chancellor, Zhang Jin, was an elder of the Zhang family, while the Right Chancellor, Li Huai'en, was the head of the Li family.
The "Four Military Merits" referred to four generals who fought alongside the ancestors of the Yu clan. When the empire was unified, all four received great rewards. The ancestors of the Yu clan even entrusted these four generals with vast territories in four directions of the empire, without significantly weakening their military power, allowing them to continue defending the country's borders. These four clans were primarily located in the west (Dugu), north (Gongsun), east (Dongfang), and south (Murong). The four clans strengthened their ties with the royal family through marriage alliances; the current Consort Shu, Dongfang Xiu, was from the Dongfang clan. And the Third Prince was born to the Emperor through the daughter of an elder of the Murong clan. The Fourth Prince and Princess Tianxiang, who was deeply favored by the Emperor, were both born to Consort Zhen, Gongsun Zhen.
My eldest brother was even more remarkable. Not only was he born to Zhang Jin's daughter, Zhang Xin, giving him the Zhang family to rely on, but a couple of years ago he also married the daughter of an elder from the Dugu family. I heard there were some secrets involved. Originally, he was supposed to marry Dugu Feng, the only daughter of the Dugu family patriarch, but Dugu Feng later ran away from home. This rumor was even recorded in the intelligence, which made me feel both amused and exasperated. In the end, my eldest brother didn't marry that unruly woman, but instead married a woman who wasn't particularly beautiful. However, he didn't lose out at all; it was clearly a political transaction. He gained the loyalty of the entire Dugu family! Strangely, my eldest brother's temper seemed to have changed quite a bit; he didn't even vent his anger on the Dugu family. I asked Ying'er and learned that my eldest brother had indeed changed; at least he could now offer some insightful opinions in court. He had also learned to win over ministers. He was currently riding high. He sat firmly on the Crown Prince's throne, and no prince dared to provoke him. He seemed to be simply waiting for his father's passing so he could ascend the throne himself. Seeing his eldest brother, who had always been more dissolute than him, suddenly change so drastically, the second prince also made corresponding changes, though these changes seemed less sudden and genuine than his eldest brother's, having a somewhat artificial feel, and therefore without much effect. However, the second prince, Yu Tianba, was slightly stronger than the eldest prince, Yu Tianlong, so he wasn't in any immediate crisis, and his power remained second among the four princes.
I valued my third brother, Yu Tianji, more. From a young age, he was somewhat gloomy, and although he sometimes bullied me, he mostly offered me comfort in secret. Even as a child, I could see that it was a political investment of affection, so I despised his hypocritical methods. But I was still grateful to him at the time. Therefore, from childhood to adulthood, my relationship with this third brother has always been the best, at least on the surface. This made Tianlong and Tianba extremely wary. It wasn't until I started learning martial arts at the Imperial Preceptor's Mansion and had Yu Tianxin as a playmate that my sweet relationship with that hypocritical third brother became less glaring. But I still deeply understood his character. On the surface, he was the third strongest among the princes, but he definitely harbored much more power. I just didn't know it. Moreover, he had many hidden forces at play. Third Brother Yu Tianji always had a good reputation. I heard he handled a major case a few years ago, punishing many corrupt officials. His other hidden force was probably me. In the palace, very few people knew about Third Brother's feelings for me, and he always offered me emotional comfort—at least on the surface. Whether I saw through his emotional investment or not, I wouldn't deny it. Therefore, he could use my princely status to put pressure on the other three princes. Because there were fewer princes in this generation, there was basically no possibility of two princes cooperating, so my princely status provided Third Brother, who wanted to become emperor, with abundant political resources.
After reading through the thick stack of intelligence, I couldn't help but marvel at its richness and detail. Heaven has truly blessed me. It has bestowed upon me such a capable and charming person. The reason I had Ying'er establish the intelligence organization was solely based on my trust in her. At the time, I didn't believe she could build an intelligence organization without money or manpower.
I simply intended to groom her as a confidante to prepare her for taking over the Dark Hall, the intelligence organization of the Heavenly Pole Sect. I never expected her to give me such a wonderful surprise. I remember when I returned last year, she was busy training people; I never imagined she would have established a fairly complete intelligence network so quickly. If it merges with the Dark Hall in the future, what secrets could she possibly keep from me? I secretly rejoiced.
After reviewing the intelligence, I got up to pay my respects to my father. Actually, I didn't need to go at all, but I had to maintain my father's goodwill towards me, so I went in person. After encouraging me, my father presented me with an enormous challenge.
"Yuan'er, you're fourteen years old now. Your father already has your elder brother at that age. Do you have a girl you like? If so, tell your father, and I'll definitely make a decision for you."
Hearing my father's words, I panicked, throwing all the memories of Fentian to the back of my mind. My heart was pounding, and my face was burning. My whole body was trembling, not from fear, but from excitement.
I didn't even know what I was doing. I only knew I couldn't tell my father about Ying'er and me, so "no" just slipped out of my mouth.
My father showed no surprise at my words, as if everything was under his control. He slowly said, "Then I'll choose one for you. I think the daughter of the Right Chancellor, Minister Li, is still unmarried. I've heard those busybodies outside have named the Four Beauties of the Capital, and she seems to be one of them. Moreover, I've heard that this girl named Yue Rou is also known for her talent; she'd be a good match for you. What do you think?"
My eyes widened. My father, whom I considered so powerful, was actually acting as matchmaker for me. And judging from his demeanor, he seemed to have been preparing for this all along. But I wasn't prepared at all.
Since my father had already brought it up, wouldn't it be embarrassing for him if I objected? Besides, I didn't have the courage to object. From the moment I aspired to the throne, I had a premonition that my marriage would never be of my own choosing.
I still need to consider my father's intentions more carefully. And there's Ying'er I need to go back to comfort.
I returned to Tianyuan Residence in a daze and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow…
Just then, elsewhere, people were discussing my life's most important matter.
At the Right Prime Minister's residence,
three people were discussing something in a secret room.
The person sitting in the upper chair was the master of the Right Prime Minister's residence, Li Huai'en. He had a broad forehead, a high nose, and captivating eyes, giving the impression that he was always smiling at you.
Standing before him were a man and a woman.
The man was the Right Prime Minister's eldest son, Li Yue, now the commander of the Second Army Corps of the Imperial City Garrison. He inherited his father's appearance and had a rather wise look. The woman was Li Huai'en's beloved daughter, the talented and beautiful Li Yuerou, renowned throughout the capital. Although a woman, she dressed like a man, tying her long, black, embroidered hair in a bun with a golden ribbon. The training clothes she wore did not detract from her natural beauty; on the contrary, they added to her heroic air. It was a refreshing sight; her vigorous physique combined with her breathtaking beauty was a perfect blend of angel and devil. No wonder the great scholar Cao Xu of the capital once praised her, saying, "Holiness and charm go hand in hand, strength and gentleness appear together."
At this moment, Li Huai'en spoke, "His Majesty just summoned me to the palace to discuss some matters." He paused here, looking at his children. Li Yue looked happy, while Li Yuerou seemed somewhat indifferent. He sighed inwardly; his son was still inferior to his daughter. So easily flustered, how could she achieve great things? He continued, "His Majesty specifically told me about the Fifth Prince Yu Tianyuan's departure from the pass. In the process, he also specifically mentioned Yuerou."
Li Huai'en paused again here. Li Yuerou spoke up, "Is Your Majesty concerned about Yuerou's marriage?"
Li Huaien nodded and said, "This time it's not about proposing marriage for the Third Prince. He just said he cares about you. But do you think His Majesty doesn't understand? He's testing us. Last time, it was because our Li family has maintained a neutral stance and hasn't supported any prince. Just because the Third Prince met you briefly, it aroused his suspicion, and His Majesty's suspicions are growing."
Just three days ago, Yu Tianji visited Right Chancellor Li Huaien, met Li Yuerou, and fell in love at first sight. After returning to the palace, he told the Emperor about his feelings for Li Yuerou and asked for a marriage decree. However, Yu Qingtian had other concerns. If the Third Prince married Li Yuerou, he would become the second most powerful force, so he didn't agree. Instead, he summoned Li Huaien to sound him out, to see if he still insisted on neutrality and maintaining the balance of power in the capital. Did Yu Qingtian intend to hide this from Li Huaien? With Li Huaien's shrewdness honed in the court, he certainly had a good grasp of the Emperor's thoughts.
Li Yuerou gently comforted him, "Father, don't worry, the Emperor isn't senile. He wouldn't dare touch any family. Didn't you say last time it was just a small matter? The Li family isn't so easily afraid of the Yu family."
Li Huaien knew this was true, but thinking about his conversation with the Emperor this time, he couldn't help but feel pessimistic again. Li Huaien composed himself and explained to Li Yuerou, "This time it's not that simple. He later mentioned that the Fifth Prince doesn't have a consort yet. Isn't it obvious that he wants you to marry that Yu Tianyuan who has no power and only a title? Alas! How can I not be pessimistic? Yu Qingtian is too arrogant. How could he arrange my daughter's marriage like this?"
Li Yuerou was also stunned. She couldn't believe that the Divine Might Emperor had changed his moderate nature. This forceful approach would offend the Li family. Her mind raced, and she seemed to understand a little, but she still wasn't quite clear.
She asked, "Did the Emperor really say that? But that's a euphemism. If it were any other small family, he would have already drafted the imperial edict."
Li Huai'en suddenly laughed and said, "Girl, have you figured it out? What is he trying to do?"
Li Yuerou had a flash of inspiration and revealed the Emperor's true intention: "He has found a candidate for the throne! I still remember the uproar caused by the Fifth Prince's apprenticeship. So it really was the Emperor's doing. I never expected that the Fifth Prince would be so capable, to be so favored by the Emperor. He's not simple."
She thought for a moment and continued, "Since the Emperor has chosen his successor, the first person he hinted at was us, just because our Li family is still neutral. A few days ago, he was indeed testing Father, but not because the Third Prince asked him to grant a marriage. Instead, he wanted to find a family to protect the future successor. Right, if that's the case, then my marriage will be guaranteed. Oh dear, how can I use people for political transactions?" The last sentence was Li Yuerou's way of coaxing Li Huai'en.
Li Huaien's face first showed excitement, then pain; he was clearly reluctant to part with his beloved daughter, but there was nothing he could do. This was a matter of great importance to the rise of the family. There was no other choice.
At this moment, Li Yuerou's dreamlike voice rang in the ears of the father and son: "The Emperor cherishes the Fifth Prince so much that he is now helping him increase his bargaining chips in seizing the throne. If our Li family finds out about this, we will have no way out. We can only choose to support the Fifth Prince. Otherwise, our family will face annihilation. However, as the situation develops, with our support and the Emperor's support, the Fifth Prince will surely achieve final victory. At that time, the Li family will definitely be able to surpass the other eight families, so sacrificing me is the best solution." As she said this, tears streamed down Li Yuerou's face.
Li Huaien, however, was at a loss. Although he loved this daughter, compared to the family, this love was far too small. So he could only choose to remain silent. Finally, after hearing Li Yuerou's profound words, he felt nothing but endless remorse...
Li Yuerou left the secret room and went to her own room. A short while later, a dark figure flew out. From the curvaceous figure, it was clear she was a woman. She could actually use her lightness skill to fly through the air; it was truly remarkable, proving she possessed at least a grandmaster-level skill.
About half an hour later, she arrived at the largest brothel in the capital, Fengyue Pavilion. She went straight to the back courtyard and entered a room. Lifting the cotton veil, she revealed a beautiful face—it was Li Yuerou. At this moment, two beautiful women entered and bowed to Li Yuerou, saying, "Subordinates greet Sect Master."
Li Yuerou told them to rise and then recounted the day's conversation to them. "What are your thoughts?" the girl asked
. The two women laughed together. The one in green said, "The sect leader has already made plans. Why would she need to ask us?"
The one in red teased, "Really, that Yu Tianyuan is incredibly lucky to have such a beauty as Senior Sister."
The girl in green glared at her and said, "You have no manners! You should call her Sect Leader!"
Li Yuerou quickly said, "Lv Ni, don't blame her. We were originally fellow disciples, weren't we? It's just that when Master passed away, she entrusted all the affairs of this sect to me, and even opened my crown chakra and passed on her skills to me. This gave me the qualifications to lead the Flower Language Sect. I will never let Master down."
Li Yuerou was the sect leader of the Flower Language Sect. Seven years ago, the Demon Sect underwent a great change. After leaving the Demon Sect, the Flower Language Sect needed to find a place to establish its main altar. The sect leader at that time thought of his eldest disciple—Li Yuerou. Li Yuerou met the sect leader of the Flower Language Sect when she was young. The sect leader saw that she had rare talent and was the perfect successor to cultivate the sect's sacred scripture, "Nine Heavenly Charms Techniques." So he took her as his disciple. Because Li Yuerou did not want to leave her home, the sect leader would always come to see her once every one or two months. After this great change, in order to cultivate his disciple, the sect leader arranged the main altar in this brothel. The Flower Language Sect had assets in various places, the most famous of which were brothels. The Wind and Moon Pavilion was the largest and most secretive of these. Three months ago, the Flower Language Sect Master was ambushed by the Black Demon Sect Master. After escaping to the Wind and Moon Pavilion, he could no longer bear his injuries and, knowing his life was nearing its end, used a secret method to transfer his power to Li Yuerou, making her his successor as sect master.
The Flower Language Sect Master held Li Yuerou in such high regard not because she was the daughter of a prime minister, but because she could cultivate the "Nine Heavenly Charm Techniques." The "Nine Heavenly Charm Techniques" was the Flower Language Sect's supreme technique. Unfortunately, it required extremely high aptitude, so no one had ever been able to cultivate it, which was why the Flower Language Sect had always ranked last among the demonic sects. Li Yuerou's ability to cultivate the "Nine Heavenly Charm Techniques" brought hope to the Flower Language Sect. Another reason was Li Yuerou's unique mindset. From a young age, Li Yuerou was exceptionally intelligent, and Li Huai'en, while admiring her, could not help but lament that Li Yuerou was a girl. This planted a thorn in Li Yuerou's young heart. So she had a wish: to change the patriarchal system of the Celestial Empire. As Li Yuerou grew older, she clearly understood the profound suffering of women. Her wish transformed into an ideal she strived to achieve: to become the first female emperor of the Celestial Empire and change all the injustices against women. If this ideal could be realized, Li Yuerou would create a new world. At that time, the Flower Language Sect, her right-hand woman, would surely flourish. Of course, there was an element of gambling involved, but her master had even more faith in Li Yuerou's talent and strength.
Li Yuerou continued, "As for the Fifth Prince I'm going to marry? No matter how capable he is, as long as he's still a man, he will definitely not escape the attraction of the Seventh Heavenly Charm Technique."
Li Yuerou's other junior sister, Hongshang, also affirmed, "That's right, Senior Sister's 'Nine Heavenly Charm Techniques' is extremely powerful, especially attractive to those stinky men, so it's almost effortless for her to seduce them."
Lüni nodded in agreement; they had absolute confidence in their sect's divine skill.
The next day,
my father had instructed me yesterday to attend the morning court session to learn something. I readily agreed, of course, and got up very early.
A short while later, the eunuch who had led the way came to find me, and I followed him to my father's bedchamber. My father was still washing and dressing.
It seemed the first thing he did after waking up was to have someone call me. At that moment, I felt a strange sense of emotion.
My father had changed into a gleaming yellow dragon robe, which made him appear much more imposing. He said to me kindly, "Today, the main purpose is for you to get to know the important officials of the court; they are all pillars of the nation. You must cultivate good relationships with them. Come, summon the Right Chancellor, Li Huai'en."
He gave me a meaningful look.
"Summon the Right Chancellor, Li Huai'en..."
A moment later, a sprightly old man entered; I knew he was Li Huai'en, the head of the Li family.
The Emperor instructed him, "Take Yuan'er to meet the ministers outside, let them get to know each other."
"Yes!"
Li Huai'en and I replied in unison, and then I followed him out. Along the way, I tried my best to chat with this powerful prime minister. Li Huai'en was very friendly to me. However, I always felt that his words seemed to be testing my knowledge and experience, and his eyes... they always seemed strange. It was like he was looking at his future son-in-law; I didn't know if it was just my imagination.
Finally, we arrived at the main hall, where I saw the ministers, whom the Emperor had called pillars of the nation, divided into several small factions, chatting amongst themselves. I wasn't quite used to it yet. Everyone saw Li Huai'en leading someone in. Everything stopped. A middle-aged man, looking rather old, approached Li Huai'en and greeted him, "Prime Minister Li, why are you so late today? And you brought someone with you. Oh! Is this His Highness the Fifth Prince?"
On the surface, he judged my identity from my clothes and age, but from the lack of surprise in his eyes from the beginning, I knew that this man already knew who I was. Seeing that he was wearing the same court robes as Li Huai'en, it wasn't hard to guess that he was Zhang Jin, another prime minister of the Celestial Empire.
I didn't expect that someone of his rank would show no signs of aging. He's actually sixty years old now.
Li Huai'en, afraid that I wouldn't recognize him, introduced me.
As soon as the introduction was finished, Zhang Jin pulled me aside and wanted to introduce me to the civil and military officials. I knew I couldn't refuse, so I obediently went with him.
However, I had my own thoughts. When Zhang Jin introduced me to the first official, the Minister of Personnel, before he had even finished, I pretended to be nervous and said, "I've heard so much about you, I've heard so much about you..." I
only said that one sentence and then didn't say anything more. Looking at the officials around me, trying not to laugh, I felt a sense of control over them. As a prince facing high-ranking officials for the first time, my performance, though lacking, was appropriate. This was the impression I left on them; I wouldn't foolishly reveal my talents, as that would undoubtedly attract the attention of various factions and make me a target.
Thus, amidst my brilliant performance and the flushed faces of the crowd, I remembered these pillars of the nation.
With the announcement of "The Emperor has arrived," the morning court session began.
I truly hadn't expected the morning court to be like this.
Everyone shamelessly reported their "great achievements," then argued heatedly with their political enemies over even the smallest bit of personal gain.
While I thought this, I told myself: Learn from their thick skin, tsk tsk, it's thicker than a city wall. They can turn good into bad, black into white, without batting an eye. That shrewdness, that hidden agenda in every seemingly soft-spoken word—I also discovered the subtlety of it all. If you uttered a single wrong word, or if no one defended you, you'd be in trouble. A united attack wouldn't necessarily condemn you to utter ruin, but judging from the looks in the eyes of the two prime ministers, your future would be over. I dared not show too much excitement, but simply closed my eyes to listen to the veiled sarcasm of these experienced elders, finding myself increasingly benefiting.
My brothers, however, all showed signs of impatience. My brother Yu Tianji was a little better, not revealing his impatience too much, while Yu Tianlong had already closed his eyes. He seemed to have drifted off to sleep.
About an hour later, the discussion had yielded several conclusions. The Emperor began by summarizing his remarks, then turned to me: "Today is the auspicious day of my Fifth Prince's completion of his cultivation. Among all the princes, I have not paid enough attention to him, so today I will arrange a major event for him. Tianyuan is not yet married, and he is already fourteen years old. In two more years, he will come of age, so today I will choose a consort for him. What do you, my beloved ministers, say?"
As he spoke, Yu Qingtian's eyes turned to the Right Chancellor, Li Huai'en, clearly indicating that he wanted him to speak first. Li Huai'en already had a plan in mind and quickly stepped forward, stating: "Your Majesty, I have a daughter, Yuerou, who is sixteen years old. She is somewhat skilled in music and chess, and has some knowledge of embroidery. She is willing to be Your Highness's consort."
The civil and military officials were stunned, and so was I. What was going on? Why had they reacted so quickly, especially since it was the head of the Li family who had extended an olive branch? What was his purpose? Could it be something he had planned with the Emperor? Never mind, it's not a bad thing anyway. But using myself for a political deal felt unsettling.
At this moment, the four princes also panicked. Anyone with half a brain knew that if I married the Li family's daughter, they would have another competitor. They didn't know what to do and began exchanging glances with their subordinates and patrons.
It was Zhang Jin, the old fox, who reacted quickly. He knew he couldn't let the Emperor speak, otherwise the matter would be settled. Before his father could make a move, he immediately stepped forward and said, "My elder brother, Zhang Qi, has a daughter named Qian, who is the same age as Your Highness and is a suitable match for you. She wishes to marry Your Highness."
He had no other choice but to stall for time and prevent the Emperor from making a decision. So he brought out his family's treasure. Now that he had spoken, surely the Emperor wouldn't immediately reject his proposal without giving the Zhang family face.
Everyone was stunned again after hearing Zhang Jin's words. What was going on? Wasn't this blatantly a contest for the marriage? Although the Zhang family and the Li family were mortal enemies, they shouldn't be fighting over something like this. On second thought, they all realized this was a stalling tactic to give them time to object. So, they all stepped forward…
Yu Qingtian, having been emperor for so many years, possessed incredibly sharp insight. Seeing the situation about to spiral out of control, he decisively made a decision: “Very well, since both of you ministers are so enthusiastic, and I think both daughters are quite good, then I will set a precedent and let Yuan’er marry both of your daughters. Rest assured, my dear ministers, after marrying Tianyuan, neither daughter will be ranked in order of seniority; they will both be wives. The Ministry of Rites will immediately consult the auspicious days and choose a perfect day for Tianyuan to marry his two beautiful wives. Tianyuan, I bestow upon you a mansion. I will reward you with ten thousand taels of gold and a thousand bolts of brocade. Alright, court adjourned.” He left without giving the ministers a chance to object. Only
then did I realize what was happening and immediately thanked him. By the time I got up, most people had already left. Only Li Huai’en was still waiting for me. Seeing my future father-in-law, I knew this was my future support. I quickly went over to greet him warmly.
Li Huaien was exceptionally affectionate towards me, a prince, and by the time we left the palace, we were already addressing each other as uncle and nephew.
Li Huaien originally wanted to invite me to his residence as a guest, to take the opportunity to strengthen our relationship. This should have been a great opportunity to consolidate power and get closer to the Li family, but I had a strange feeling about me. So I declined his offer.
I wondered: was it because of the marriage announced by my father today?
This was the first time I'd experienced something like this. I'm not a very emotional person; even with my current secret lover, Ying'er, I initially used her more than I used her. It was only later that she gained my trust and entered my lonely heart. I thought that was love, but I've always treated this feeling from the perspective of a clueless teenager, instead of opening up the coldness in my heart, so my heart still feels empty. Perhaps this is a side effect of merging with Fentian! I comforted myself.
Not wanting to waste too much energy on this psychological issue, I found a secluded place and entered into meditation.
I channeled my inner energy, and a white light instantly enveloped me. My mind calmed, and I entered a state of ethereal tranquility.
After an unknown amount of time, I slowly opened my eyes, a happy smile spreading across my lips. I discovered that my state of mind had reached a new level.
Back at Tianyuan Residence, it was already dawn. Ying'er was practicing her sword alone in the courtyard. As soon as I entered, I saw a dark shadow fly towards me. I quickly dodged to the side, about to see who dared to ambush me at my doorstep, when I found Ying'er standing before me, pouting and whimpering. Beside me was a sharp flying sword, the gift I had given Ying'er, named after her—the Phantom Sword. It was Ying'er who had ambushed me. I was stunned, momentarily wondering what I had done to offend the little girl. But it was best not to cause myself any trouble; I quickly apologized.
So I quickly walked to Ying'er and was about to hug her, but she dodged away from my embrace, angrily saying, "So you know how to come back? Where did you go yesterday? I remember you got two beauties yesterday. You didn't go to see them last night, did you?"
It turned out Ying'er was jealous of my two fiancées whom I had never met. Sigh! Now I realize how unpredictable women are!
At this moment, Ying'er spoke again: "Originally, I was just your maid, I had no right to speak, and I'm not angry about you marrying two young ladies. I was just worried about you, you didn't come back all night. You..." As she spoke, crystal tears streamed down her face.
I hugged her and said gently, "Ying'er, it's all my fault. I was a little confused yesterday, so I used my internal energy to meditate, I didn't expect it to take so long, making my little darling worry! What happened yesterday was some dirty political deal, I haven't even met the two young ladies yet. I only have Ying'er in my heart. Okay, don't cry."
Ying'er wasn't an unreasonable person, and after my explanation, she quickly calmed down.
Ying'er and I spent some more time together, then went to the training room.
After properly circulating my Qi through the One-Breath Technique, my skill had noticeably improved. I felt a surge of excitement. Just then, Ying'er rushed in. Seeing her flustered expression, I was startled.
She ran to my side and handed me a piece of intelligence. It contained very few words, but they were extremely concise; I read the entire message in a glance. I was stunned, because even I couldn't tell whether the intelligence was good or bad!

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