Chapter 112: Stay far away from me next time you see me, or I'll beat you every time I see you!

"No problem, I'll call you next time I have cake," Li Chen promised.

"What is cake? Is it something to eat?" the Empress Dowager asked, even swallowing her saliva.

It could be seen that this woman was indeed a bit gluttonous and liked to eat everything.

Especially looking at the Empress Dowager's expression up close, it was the look of someone who hadn't been fed enough.

Li Chen could only wait for a future opportunity to feed her well.

"That's not what I meant, but cake is indeed edible. I made some casually to celebrate for Li Sining. Go to my sleeping quarters later; if you're late, it might be all eaten by Li Sining."

"Fine, but next time you pull me, can you be a bit gentler? My hand hurts."

The Empress Dowager had just been dragged over by Li Chen; regardless of whether she had cultivated or not, no one could handle Li Chen's strength.

Li Chen also indicated no problem; he would definitely be gentle in the future and wouldn't hurt her.

The two had finished discussing their business and returned to the vicinity of the royal altar.

When they had left, people there were whispering and discussing.

They didn't know what the two were going to do, and no one dared to peek.

In the imperial palace, knowing less meant having more safety.

When they saw the two appear, the scene returned to its dull state.

Especially Li Sining, who was very worried inside, not knowing if her brother could persuade the Empress Dowager; otherwise, the freedom she had finally obtained would turn into a bubble.

The closer the Empress Dowager got to her, the more nervous she became, her body trembling involuntarily.

However, seeing Li Chen's look of having handled it, her tense body seemed to relax quite a bit.

The Empress Dowager held Li Sining's small hand and said gently: "His Majesty has told me, and I also feel that nephew is not worthy of you. Just cultivate well in the palace; if you have any needs in the future, just tell me."

"Really? Thank you, Empress Dowager!" Li Sining excitedly wanted to throw herself into the Empress Dowager's arms, but she didn't have the guts.

It seems brother is still powerful, even able to retract the Empress Dowager's words.

Originally, Li Sining's favorability toward Li Chen was full, and now it was directly overflowing.

Chu Ruoyan beside her was also happy for her; with Li Sining in the palace, she would have a companion.

If Li Sining really married off, and Li Chen was very busy with work, she wouldn't find anyone to talk to.

The only thing Chu Ruoyan felt melancholy about was that Li Chen was good at everything, except that he had too few concubines.

She liked the feeling of being exclusively favored, but she really couldn't handle it.

Then Chu Ruoyan looked inexplicably at the dignified Empress Dowager, not knowing what she was thinking.

In the Empress Dowager's sleeping quarters, a handsome young man was waiting anxiously.

Seeing the Empress Dowager return, he asked eagerly: "Aunt, how did it go?"

The Empress Dowager ignored him, sat on the soft couch, picked up the tea handed by a palace maid, took a sip, and then said: "Your impatient look really doesn't match Sining well. I think we should forget about this matter."

Hearing this, the young man felt relieved inside.

He was Zou Yi, a disciple of the Zou clan, a great noble family. For a long time, the Zou family had people in important positions in both the imperial palace and the imperial court.

In the previous dynasty, the Zou clan was a great family and had a good relationship with the Li family.

Since the founding of the May Tian Ce Dynasty, they had relied on their relationship with the royal family to develop strongly until now.

The Zou clan might be average in the imperial capital, but they were all-powerful in the Western Liang region.

Of the twelve prefectures of Western Liang, half were the Zou clan's territory.

Actually, Zou Yi had never met Li Sining; it was just the family asking him to propose marriage, saying something about furthering the relationship with the royal family.

Zou Yi was very unwilling; he was recently competing for power within the clan with several other cousins, and his father had asked him to come to the imperial capital to handle two things.

The first thing was to find the Empress Dowager, saying that if he married the princess, his status in the family would improve.

In Zou Yi's view, wasn't this just opening a blind box? If the princess turned out to be ugly, how disgusting would it be to marry her back?

He remembered Zou Yi's last visit to the imperial capital, when he was prepared to propose to a prince's daughter; at that time, his father had said that the princess was beautiful.

As a result, when he arrived at the imperial capital, that princess was not only ugly but also a bit mentally challenged, so Zou Yi decisively chose to run away.

This time, his father also said the Ninth Princess was very beautiful, but that was just what his father said; this kind of scam wasn't the first or second time.

Now hearing that he had been rejected, Zou Yi was too lazy to struggle and directly took his leave.

He didn't believe his father could arrange any beautiful woman for him.

According to Zou Yi's analysis, among the noble women in the imperial capital, as long as they were beautiful, the nearby second-generation disciples wouldn't let them go; how could such a good thing fall to him?

His father was just tricking him into marrying those ugly ones, saying something like "As a Zou family disciple, marriage is also a contribution."

He scoffed at this statement; he wasn't like the Crown Prince, who would ignore everything for power.

Feeling he had escaped a disaster again, Zou Yi walked out of the Empress Dowager's sleeping quarters leisurely.

Just at this moment, he saw a peerless beauty walking slowly; her steps were light and elegant, swaying gently in the breeze.

Zou Yi's gaze met hers inadvertently, and at that moment, he felt as if he had been frozen in place by an invisible force, and the whole world stood still.

The woman's face was like a fairy walking out of a painting, every line just right, exquisite to the point of suffocation. Her eyes were clear and pure, making one unable to extricate themselves at a single glance.

Her skin was as white and flawless as the first snow, exuding a temperament that was not of this world.

Zou Yi's pupils dilated sharply at this moment; even though he had seen countless women, he had never had such an intense shock.

She brushed past him, bringing a faint fragrance, as if the air itself was filled with an intoxicating scent.

Zou Yi only felt his heartbeat accelerating and his breathing becoming rapid; he felt as if his inner voice was telling him that this was the feeling of love at first sight.

However, when she went further and further away, finally disappearing from his sight, Zou Yi suddenly came back to his senses.

He hurriedly asked the palace maid beside him: "Who is that woman?"

The palace maid took a look and replied: "It is Her Highness the Ninth Princess."

Zou Yi's intestines turned green with regret; no one told him the Ninth Princess was so beautiful, otherwise, he would have begged the Empress Dowager to marry the Ninth Princess to him just now.

If his father knew he was thinking this, he would definitely say: Didn't I tell you long ago? You didn't believe me.

!

Zou Yi felt he could still save the situation and immediately turned his head, trotting back to the Empress Dowager's sleeping quarters.

Seeing the Empress Dowager, he said with a fawning smile: "Aunt, I have one more thing to say. Eh, who is this?"

How could the Empress Dowager not see through Zou Yi's little thoughts? This fake chance encounter was indeed a bit too deliberate.

But now the Empress Dowager was Li Sining's investor, how could she possibly let Li Sining go?

Besides, even if she permitted it, Li Chen wouldn't allow it.

So the Empress Dowager simply said: "Why are you still here? Go finish your business and get back to Western Liang quickly."

After speaking, the Empress Dowager followed Li Sining and left the sleeping quarters, leaving only the awkward Zou Yi.

The reason Li Sining came over was because Li Chen had asked her to call the Empress Dowager to eat cake and hinted that she could build a good relationship with the Empress Dowager, so she would have another backer in the palace.

Li Sining was very afraid of the Empress Dowager, but since Li Chen had said so, Li Sining naturally chose to believe him.

Li Chen's words were absolutely correct in her eyes, and everything was based on Li Chen's standards.

As for Zou Yi, who was just preparing to strike up a conversation, she was too lazy to even greet him; she was not interested in men other than Li Chen.

Just as Zou Yi was still standing there foolishly, the palace maid beside him urged: "Young Master Zou, this is the imperial palace, please leave quickly."

The imperial palace is a restricted area, and others cannot stay long; this is the rule.

Zou Yi's good mood was disrupted, and he said angrily: "Is it your place to talk?"

As soon as the words fell, a loud slap landed on Zou Yi's face.

He was just about to get angry when he saw the palace maid looking at him fiercely, saying: "Remember, this is the imperial palace."

This palace maid was the Empress Dowager's trusted aide; with the Empress Dowager here, she was a servant.

If the Empress Dowager weren't here, Zou Yi wouldn't have the qualifications to put on airs with her.

Zou Yi was also slapped into sobriety, immediately apologized to the palace maid, and quickly left the imperial palace.

It was just that he couldn't stop thinking about Li Sining's figure.

He thought to himself, his father was right: "As a Zou family disciple, marriage is also a contribution."

Coming to the imperial capital this time, he must obtain the princess, not just for himself, but for the Zou family!

Because of Li Sining's beauty, he remembered he was a Zou family disciple!

In any case, the Ninth Princess is unmarried, and I have plenty of opportunities.

Zou Yi had a feeling that he wouldn't go back unless he married Li Sining.

When he left, he kept thinking: Since Aunt can't make the decision, why don't I ask His Majesty to grant the marriage?

Ordinary people couldn't see His Majesty, so he had to think of a way.

But before that, he had to complete the second thing he came to the imperial capital for—the thing the Empress Dowager urged him to finish and get out.

Zou Yi had come from Western Liang this time, and his father had given him a letter, asking him to hand it to the person in charge of the Ji'nan Bai clan in the imperial capital.

The Ji'nan Bai clan was a very famous cultivation family in the May Tian Ce Dynasty and also a medical family passed down for a thousand years.

No matter where it is, the business of opening a medical clinic is certainly good.

Especially in this world with so many cultivators, everyone wants to know a physician with superb medical skills; perhaps if they encounter some difficult and miscellaneous diseases, they can be treated.

The Bai clan is dominated by female cultivators, and the men in the Bai family are all matrilocal, having no status.

According to the family tradition, many things are passed down to daughters and not to sons.

The Bai clan's medical clinic in the imperial capital was still very famous, and Zou Yi quickly found the location.

Just arriving nearby, Zou Yi experienced the "local customs" of the imperial capital.

Because he and his four subordinates didn't give way to the noble second-generation disciple opposite, a conflict occurred on the spot.

When Zou Yi revealed that he was the Empress Dowager's nephew, he thought the other side would immediately apologize, but who knew the other side not only wasn't afraid but beat him up instead.

They even arrogantly said: "I don't care whose nephew you are, I am the Crown Prince of the Prince of Zhennan; stay far away from me next time you see me, or I'll beat you every time I see you."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 113 =====