Chapter 45

The capital of Qi State—Che Gan, inside the imperial palace.

Wei Lingfeng wore solemn purple robes, wolf-hair brush in hand, seated at the desk drafting memorials; the murmured 'Your Majesty, Your Majesty' drifted up from below, and he couldn't help but show a faint mocking smile.

"Your Majesty, according to this humble official, the Empress behaves improperly on her travels, often disregarding propriety and shame by appearing in public."

"Yes! Your Majesty, I also heard that while on the ship she privately exchanged things with an enemy general, their relationship unclear!"

"Moreover, she is a foreign woman—how can she be our empress? If this gets out…"

"Your Majesty, the ancestral precepts must never be abandoned!"

Several officials exerted all their strength, listing myriad reasons and countless arguments, yet the person on the dais continued lowering his head, single-mindedly reviewing subordinates' memorials, not even lifting his head a bit.

After the final memorial was approved, Wei Lingfeng finally raised his strikingly handsome face, his gaze sweeping lightly over the crowd below; those who had just been speaking righteously and offering loyal counsel seemed suddenly pierced by an ice sword, shuddering, and the inner hall fell silent at once.

"I'm actually curious—this news is from a thousand miles away, even I don't know the details; how do you officials know?"

Upon hearing this, the officials dared not even lift their heads, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.

Wei Lingfeng gave a cold smile and said, "The matter of appointing an empress is my own affair; you may withdraw now."

Wei Lingfeng flicked his sleeves, rose, and addressed the empty palace: "Cheng You, why hasn't Xuantian's party arrived yet?"

Cheng You leapt down from the beam, knelt respectfully before him, and with a troubled expression said, "Your Majesty, I… I dare not…"

Wei Lingfeng furrowed his brows slightly and said lightly, "Speak."

"Yes!" Cheng You hastily lowered his head to report respectfully, "The Empress's party has stopped in a village more than ten li outside Blue Tile City."

He paused, seeing that his master showed no particular expression, then stammered, "In those dozen or so villages, a plague is now spreading. The Empress brought soldiers and is… helping them treat the illness."

Wei Lingfeng's expression changed, then as if recalling something, he couldn't help but chuckle, muttering, "How foolish of me to worry about her—she's returned to her old trade."

"Cheng You, issue the order: postpone the wedding to one month from now. As for the Empress's coronation ceremony… delay it to four months later."

"Yes!"

"Empress! Empress!" cries came wailing from afar; I rubbed my sore forehead and set down the medicinal decoction in my hand.

A soldier-styled person rushed into the room, excitedly saying, "Empress, Amei's sores have begun to scab."

"Then that means she's out of danger!" I glared at him angrily, "Don't you see how many patients I still have here? If you're afraid she'll become pockmarked, go find Xiaoyin and let it lick her twice…"

"Empress!" He scratched his head, cut me off with a foolish grin, "Even if she becomes pockmarked, it's fine—I'm just glad she's alive. Also, subordinate… I merely… wanted to come thank the Empress."

Ah? I blinked, then felt a bit embarrassed, giving an awkward smile: "Sorry just now. What's your name?"

"Empress—" he said with a bitter face, complaining, "I've told you several times my name is Wang Jian. Among all these people, besides General Xuan and the Empress, no one remembers me."

How come all the reasoning seems to be on his side? Fine, I admit I can't remember those soldiers' names, but can that be blamed on me? They all wear identical uniforms, their looks equally dull… cough.

"I'll go find Xia Wuye; you watch these patients for me, and be careful not to get too close to them."

Avoiding the question that floated over, I dumped the mess on him and rushed out the door, thinking, 'You brat, who made me lose face?' Faint voices from inside the house drifted over.

"Is that girl really the Empress?" a weak female voice asked in disbelief.

"Of course!" Wang Jian couldn't hide the pride in his voice, "She is the future Empress of our Qi State!"

"But… she just personally fed me medicine."

"She held my child all night without letting go…"

I laughed, shook my head, tidied my disheveled hair, and hurried away.

Just after leaving the village not far, I was stopped by the grim-faced Xuantian: "Empress, we've already delayed half a month—shouldn't we set off now?"

"No!" I shook my head, "Although variolation has been given to them, it also damaged part of their immune system; I must find a substitute for antibiotics. Moreover, those who have fallen ill and are not beyond help from medicine—I cannot abandon them either."

"Empress, although I don't understand what you're saying, I know you're doing this for the people and for Qi State!" Xuantian's expression held some reproach, but mostly admiration, "However, the Emperor has already ordered the wedding postponed by one month; the officials in court have been arguing, and if we delay further…"

I turned my gaze to the village gradually regaining vitality. Whenever villagers saw the busy soldiers, they bowed gratefully, and the soldiers' faces were filled with happy smiles.

I withdrew my gaze and said lightly, "Xuantian, in our homeland, whenever a benevolent ruler governs the realm, they follow this saying: the people are paramount, the state altars come second, the ruler is light. What do you think?"

"The people are paramount, the state altars come second, the ruler is light…" Xuantian murmured my words, his expression growing solemn, admiration showing on his face.

I suddenly gave a cold chuckle and said, "I think that saying is bullshit."

"Ruler and people are both human, both life—why should they be worth less than the cold state altars? Yes, I know only a prosperous state can guarantee the people's stable, happy lives. But whether these ideas are right or wrong is something for an emperor like Wei Lingfeng to consider; I am merely an ordinary doctor—to me, country, people's livelihood, state altars are just words, devoid of any meaning. Put another way! To me, these people are lives equal to mine, so I strive to save them. As for General Xuan and Your Majesty—do you value your subjects less than those empty rituals?"

I smiled, waved my hand at the bewildered Xuantian, and said, "Don't worry! I guarantee we can set out within ten days." Then I turned and left.

I walked for a long time, the sky gradually darkening, yet I still hadn't found Wuye. Strangely, he usually sits alone by the lake to meditate, doesn't he?

My legs felt a bit sore and numb; I sat on the rocks by the lake. Alas! I had originally planned to let Wuye go into town tomorrow to buy some herbs, but with other matters he really can't help.

Suddenly, a strange agitation spread through my whole body.

After absorbing the internal energy of Qiran and Bushа, I gained a faint semblance of spiritual power; occasionally, when danger looms, a slight agitation spreads through my body.

In the darkness, a cold light seemed to tear through space, flashing in an instant.

Killing intent spread like a spiderweb over my head and face, yet beforehand I had not the slightest awareness.

Since I inexplicably obtained internal energy, no one harboring killing intent has ever been able to hide so close to me without my noticing. Therefore, my current dread is far from trivial.

I stumbled and rolled to the side, yet my arm still shot with intense pain.

Just that single exchange told me the opponent's skill was terrifyingly high—far beyond what a half-trained martial artist like me could handle.

Taking the moment I fell, I hurriedly shouted 'Help!'—after all, we're not far from the village, and Wuye might be nearby.

Before I could get up, the cold light flashed fiercely again, blurring my already poor vision, accompanied by a strong force of the weapon lunging at my right chest.

In shock, I could think of nothing else; instinctively I lowered my body, raised my right hand, and jerked my left hand outward—

It made no sound, yet both hands sank heavily; the stabbing pain in my left arm almost made me lose my grip, but I barely managed to block the blade's strike with the character 'absolute'.

Yes, only then did I realize it was a knife.

"Master!" Wu Ye's startled cry came from far to near, and from even farther away came the faint shout of "Your Ladyship."

The blade's force was abruptly withdrawn, as if in an instant, both killing intent and blade light vanished without a trace.

If not for the still‑aching wound on my left arm, I would really have thought that just now was merely a fleeting illusion of mine.

"Master!" Wu Ye's shout had already arrived nearby.

"I'm here." I lay limp on the ground, speaking weakly. Only now did I discover that my whole body was soaked in cold sweat, and I couldn't muster any strength in my limbs.

Although it was only a few seconds, it felt like a "life-or-death speed," making me tremble whenever I recall it.

That knife is truly not simple. It actually managed to block the "Absolute" without being cut.

"Master!" Wu Ye's voice was hoarse and panicked as he rushed over and grabbed me up from the ground; his hand touched the wound, and I couldn't help but let out a soft groan.

"Are you hurt?" In the pitch-black night, with no moonlight, plus the visual afterimage from the blade's flash just now, I couldn't see his eyes, but the iciness in his tone and the anger unconsciously emanating from his whole body showed he was furious.

"It's fine, just a… a little wound, I can handle it myself…" I said cautiously, though for some reason Wu Ye now made me feel uneasy, my tone couldn't harden, and I even swallowed the last word "go."

Sigh! Is there any master as spineless as me in the world?

Wu Ye avoided the wound, tightened his grip on my hand, and said coldly: "From now on, don't leave my side."

Actually, if we compare internal energy, I'm not inferior to you; it's just that the techniques I've learned are only suited for assassination… Although I really wanted to say that, seeing Wu Ye's eyes glowing coldly in the dark, I still nodded weakly.

"Consort——" The shout from afar grew nearer; I seemed to hear Wu Ye let out a faint sigh as he held me and slowly walked toward the sound.

"His Majesty approaches——"

Following the sharp, shrill cry of the eunuch, Wei Lingfeng entered the newly renovated "Luoying Gong" amid a retinue of over a dozen guards, eunuchs, and palace maids.

Two rows of palace maids knelt, about to shout "Long live the Emperor three times," when they saw a graceful woman in purple robes rush from the hall's end, quickly stepping before Wei Lingfeng, she made a bow but did not kneel, and said softly: "Greetings, Your Majesty."

Wei Lingfeng nodded slightly and asked: "Where is Yingruo?"

"Miss, she went to sleep right after her bath." The purple-clad woman lowered her head in reply, unable to keep a smile from her face; she quickly frowned and lowered her head, feigned a cough to cover it up, then continued: "She even ordered… that even if the Heavenly King himself came, no one is allowed to wake her."

"Is that so?" Wei Lingfeng gave a helpless smile, then walked around the purple-clad woman and continued forward.

The purple-clad woman grew flustered, quickly stepped back a few paces, blocked his path, bowed, and called: "Your Majesty……"

Wei Lingfeng's face broke into a lascivious smile, making the palace maids kneeling at the sides, who dared only to glance furtively, blush and pound with excitement, yet he said: "She only said not to wake her, but didn't say I can't go look, right?"

After saying that, he lightly flicked his robe corner with a fading smile and walked alone into the hall, leaving the purple-clad woman beside him, both startled and annoyed, yet helpless, thinking: "No wonder even Miss was set up—this emperor is truly clever and despicable."

Wei Lingfeng strode into the spacious, magnificent hall with his hands loosely behind his back. His steps were leisurely and relaxed, yet made no sound. When he realized this unconscious gesture, he involuntarily raised his crystal-clear, slender fingers to brush his brow, revealing a somewhat helpless smile.

Turning around a dragon-phoenix pillar, I saw beneath a canopy of white snow gauze a girl lying on her side, motionless. The breeze brushed past her ears, lifting the snow gauze lightly, yet the girl slept peacefully—or one could say she was in a deathly stillness.

However, Wei Lingfeng had at some point narrowed his eyes slightly, gazing at the scene before him that was clearly somewhat discordant yet unexpectedly blended together just right.

He stepped forward a few steps, lifted the snow gauze, and sat down beside the girl.

Her long hair, still dripping with water, lay scattered beside the pillow; though I remembered her as already somewhat frail, she now seemed even thinner.

With her hair wet like this, she went straight to sleep, unafraid of a headache tomorrow. Wei Lingfeng couldn't help but think that.

Recalling Chengyou's report, he couldn't help but smirk faintly, as if the weaker this girl's body, the greater her deeds.

Wei Lingfeng gently gathered the strand of hair near her ear and swept it back, for previously he had always been drawn by the light in her eyes, but now he examined her face in earnest for the first time.

Her eyelashes were long—longer than any of his consorts beside him—slightly upturned, and as her even breathing caused them to tremble lightly, they cast delicate shadows.

In my impression, her complexion was too pale, her lip shape lovely but lacking color, and other features… left no lasting impression. Thus, the girl before him was indeed far from the bewitching beauty of his consorts.

But now, the girl wore only a plain white single garment; as she lay on her side, her neck revealed a faintly visible white collarbone. Perhaps because she had just bathed, her cheeks flushed a faint peach, her lips became moist and lustrous, her whole body exuded the fresh scent after bathing, mingled with a maiden's unique aura.

His heart stirred slightly; unable to resist, he curved his slender forefinger and lightly stroked her silk-smooth cheek, then lingered on her pale pink lips, and as his fingertip gently rubbed her lips, a strange sensation spread through his body, actually causing his heartbeat to quicken imperceptibly.

Wei Lingfeng furrowed his brows, flashed a faint self-mocking smile, and withdrew his hand.

After two months of nonstop travel and exhaustion, my body had truly reached its limit. I hastily washed off the road's dust and collapsed into sleep.

Although I had inwardly sighed upon first seeing this palace—what's the difference between one person sleeping here and a haunted house? —my bodily fatigue still wouldn't let me recognize the bed, especially since it was still daytime.

I don't know if it's because of the extra Qiran internal breath, but when someone approaches, my body can faintly sense it; occasionally I can even tell whether the person's aura is evil or good. Of course, this at most merely heightens alertness—it could never reach the perverse level of Qiran.

In my sleep I truly felt someone approaching, but as to who it was or what they were doing, I had no idea—or rather, I was too lazy to feel. However…

My eyelashes twitched, I turned slightly, and my eyes, still unable to focus properly, strained open—just in time to meet Wei Lingfeng's expression of slight surprise and… something.

"Wei Lingfeng?" What is he doing here? I frowned slightly, my muddled brain not working well; after thinking a while, I finally said in a dazed realization: "Ah! I'll learn those etiquettes later; anyway, tomorrow's wedding I won't let you lose face. Well, just like this, I'm really sleepy now…"

Having said that, I turned over, closed my eyes, and slept again. My fatigue was truly at its limit, so let whoever come come; anyway, I sleep my sleep, he sits his sit.

A soft chuckle slipped from his throat, Wei Lingfeng rose with a lovely faint smile at the corner of his mouth, gently lowered the snow gauze, and left the hall.

(End of chapter)