Chapter 78

"Prince Consort, this matter will likely cause a misunderstanding in Chaoge City!"

"After all, she is a Yin Shang princess; Lady Yin can think of more, deeper things."

"As the totem of Yin Shang, the Black Bird has descended upon Chentang Pass; what this means goes without saying."

"Even if his brother trusts him more, he cannot withstand the ministers fanning the flames."

"Before long, envoys from Chaoge City will arrive at Chentang Pass; if mishandled, it will become a disaster."

"\"Madam, you needn't worry; your loyalty to Great Shang is evident to heaven and earth—'if one's conduct is upright, one need not fear a crooked shadow,' and no one need fear! \""

"Ao Yifan embraced Lady Yin, laughing as he spoke."

"\"This... \""

"Although she still felt a little worried, having the Prince Consort by her side, leaning in his embrace, her worries would soon dissipate."

"However, just as Lady Yin had anticipated, a storm is now sweeping across Chaoge City."

"……"

"\"Your Majesty, the Black Bird is the totem of our Great Shang; now it has descended upon Chentang Pass—this cannot be ignored! \""

"Marquis of Xibo Ji Chang spoke in a deep voice."

"Di Xin lightly tapped the armrest with his finger, his icy gaze fixed on Ji Chang below."

"Under Di Xin's gaze, Ji Chang felt immense pressure, and a fine sweat involuntarily broke out on his forehead."

"\"You mean my younger sister Suzhi harbors rebellious intentions, Ji Chang? Do you know what you're saying? \""

"Di Xin's voice rang out, making Ji Chang's heart jolt."

"\"Your Majesty, I harbor no such intention! \""

"Ji Chang immediately knelt to the ground; such words, he could merely think about in his heart, but to actually accept them would be truly courting death."

"\"Your Majesty! \""

"At this moment, Marquis of Dongbo Jiang Huanchu stepped forward and said, \"I believe the Marquis of Xibo is overthinking; the descent of the Black Bird is an auspicious sign, indicating that Princess Suzhi's governance of Chentang Pass has earned the approval of our Great Shang's ancestors—there is absolutely no rebellious intent. \""

"As the father of Queen Jiang, the Marquis of Dongbo had always heard his daughter speak of how the princess and the Prince Consort supported her."

"Even in private, his grandson Yin Jiao had paid homage to the Prince Consort as an adoptive father."

"Such a relationship shows that the princess and the Prince Consort are the staunchest supporters of his grandson; how could the Marquis of Dongbo stand by while others criticize the princess and the Prince Consort?"

"\"Your Majesty, Princess Suzhi once studied martial arts under me; I often hear her say that mastering martial arts helps the king quell the four rebellions and stabilize the fortune of Great Shang, so I believe the princess harbors no rebellious intent. \""

At this moment, Martial Accomplishment King Huang Feihu stepped forward and said.

Given his relationship with his sister and the prince consort, Huang Feihu could hardly stand by and watch the princess and prince consort come to harm.

The civil and military officials stepped forward to speak for the princess, and in an instant more people stood up, pleading for her.

Seeing this, Di Xin's eyes flickered slightly, then he turned his gaze to Bigan.

"Uncle King, how do you view this matter?"

"The descent of the black bird is no trivial matter; specifics cannot yet be concluded. In my view, we must send an envoy to Chen Tang Pass to observe carefully before deciding."

Bigan said.

"Yes, Uncle King, your words are reasonable!"

Di Xin nodded, then his gaze fell upon one person.

"Shang Minister, you oversee the rites and music of our Great Shang and are famed for your discerning eye; this envoy to Chen Tang Pass shall be led by you, and you shall help this king see just how my sister truly is!"

Di Xin said in a calm voice.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Prime Minister Shang Rong bowed and replied affirmatively.

"Your Majesty, I wish to accompany the Minister to Chen Tang Pass; I hope you will grant permission!"

Marquis of Xibo Ji Chang pleaded.

This is a heaven-sent opportunity; he is unwilling to let it go.

"Marquis of Xibo, leave this to the Minister; some matters are not for you to meddle in—understood?"

After giving Ji Chang a deep look, Di Xin ceased speaking further and left directly.

Just that glance made Ji Chang's back break out in sweat; he sensed that their king might have noticed something.

"However, even if our king is wise and mighty, he probably doesn't know that I and the Minister are already bound as in-laws through our children."

Ji Chang thought to himself.

That night, after disguising himself, Ji Chang secretly went to the Prime Minister's residence.

No one knows what the two of them actually said.

Not long after, the envoy to Chen Tang Pass was fully assembled, with Shang Rong as chief envoy and Deng Jiu Gong as deputy to guard the envoy's safety; twenty thousand troops set off mightily toward Chen Tang Pass.

"With a full twenty thousand troops and Deng Jiu Gong guarding, it seems our king also harbors suspicions!"

Watching the envoy's departing back, Huang Feihu also felt somewhat helpless.

The descent of the black bird is of great importance; even he dare not speak further.

"No, this concerns the prince consort; I will have my lady enter the palace to inform my sister and tell the queen—now only the queen can persuade the king."

Huang Feihu thought to himself, then mounted his five-colored divine ox and headed toward his own manor.

……

"Xuan Nu, remove your armor!"

To verify the Sanskrit left by the Ci Hang Daoist, and to gauge the extent of his control over the Nine Heavens Xuan Nu, Ao Yifan decided to risk a trial.

In an instant, the Nine Heavens Xuan Nu, who normally obeyed Ao Yifan's every command, flashed a fierce struggle in her eyes.

It was obvious that this command exceeded her limits.

"Xuan Nu, I know well that although you have taken refuge in Ci Hang, your own will has not dissipated."

Ao Yifan's finger slid over the opponent's battle armor, and he chuckled lightly, saying: "You also don't want to always be under Compassionate Vessel's control, right? How about we make a deal?"

Upon hearing this, Jiutian Xuannv's eyes flickered with a hint of fluctuation, and she said with some difficulty: "What deal?"

Seeing Jiutian Xuannv's reaction, Ao Yifan curled the corner of his mouth into a smile.

"I will help you break free from Compassionate Vessel's control, and you only need to bear my child."

"Bear a child?"

Jiutian Xuannv's breathing became slightly hurried.

"How? Unwilling? Don't forget, Compassionate Vessel may later head west; if you are taken there, you might never be able to escape its control for a lifetime—do you really want that?"

Ao Yifan coaxed her patiently.

These words made it seem as if Jiutian Xuannv's current predicament were entirely due to the Compassionate Vessel Daoists, completely absolving himself.

Indeed, Ao Yifan's words took effect, and the struggle in Jiutian Xuannv's eyes grew stronger.

But just then, the Sanskrit golden light in Ao Yifan's palm blazed forth, and no matter how Jiutian Xuannv struggled, it had no effect.

He shook the Sanskrit in his palm and said: "Look, with this, I originally didn't need to discuss any terms with you, but I still respect your choice—this shows I sincerely help you out of trouble; take off your armor!"

Upon hearing Ao Yifan's words, the struggle in Jiutian Xuannv's eyes gradually faded; she gave him a deep look, then reached out to undo her battle armor.

"Clang!"

The sound of the battle armor hitting the ground also foreshadowed Jiutian Xuannv's compromise with reality.