Chapter 592: Sleeping in Zhu Jingdian (Part 2)

This Highness indeed ate sparingly. Because she hadn't notified the Imperial Kitchen in advance today, she set aside three pastries from her own meal for Seeing Pei Ye, who leaned against the eaves and swallowed them one by one.

Li Xizhou sat at the desk inside the hall to eat. The hall was very deep and vast, but the surroundings were very quiet. The palace doors were open, so her voice carried out very clearly.

"The case files record how Mother was assassinated, but they don't record how she died. The historians say she 'passed away in the Mingyue Palace.' It seems that after the Qilin Blood Calamity, all results were merely foam after the tide receded, including the Empress's death."

Li Xizhou said, "But you know, the person behind the scenes who pushed for this assassination was the one who achieved their own scheme under the cover of the Calamity's grand curtain."

Seeing Pei Ye leaned against a pillar outside the hall, listening quietly. This was exactly what he had been thinking about since leaving the Mingyue Palace today.

The Empress stealing Qilin Blood was a heaven-shaking matter, but a deeper, more obscure thread was that someone had known earlier than anyone else that the Empress possessed Qilin Blood, and had orchestrated an assassination that looked like a demonic trace, exposing this disaster before the world.

And the thing he sought by dragging that Empress into the abyss was presumably something he could only obtain after she fell. Therefore...

"Mother's death is the important matter."

Li Xizhou said, "I think she realized it at the time too. What she did, how she died, and whether those people actually succeeded—that is what I have been searching for all along."

Seeing Pei Ye was silent for a while and said, "Did no one from those years know?"

"Yue Muzhou said that my mother committed suicide, but he didn't know where she died. Until the time of burial, no one found her corpse."

"..."

Li Xizhou ate her evening meal quietly. The moon rose, and the sky turned from dim to cold white.

"Do you know who I suspect this mastermind behind the scenes is?" she said.

Seeing Pei Ye was stunned for a moment: "Prince Yan, Yongbei?"

"Mm."

"..."

"Has anyone told you about this person?"

"Reporting to Your Highness, no."

"'Yong' is not one of the Five Surnames, and the Prince of Yan is not the master of the Great Tang in the true sense," Li Xizhou said. "Yongbei did not come from a noble family or a military lineage. Even now, in the upper echelons of the Great Tang, 'Yong' is a lonely surname. He rose from the grassroots, the very kind of bottom-tier *jianghu* that the Five Surnames look down upon most. In the Lingyan Pavilion, there is now a 'Portrait of the Prince and Generals Knowing Each Other,' painted when the current Sage was twenty-two. At that age, he was killing barbarians on the northern frontier, and Yongbei stood behind him. Both of them were stained with blood, holding spears, slung with swords, and carrying bows, with the dim yellow desert smoke and the just-pacified battlefield behind them."

"He has a shallow scar under his left eye. You have seen Yongji; he looks very much like Yongbei did when he was young, only Yongbei had already experienced the *jianghu* for a long time at that age. The air of dust was heavy on him, like a hidden raptor, whereas this Heir Apparent has his sharpness exposed, and there is rarely that kind of unease and vigilance in his eyes."

Seeing Pei Ye listened to every word.

"More than twenty years ago, after the Northern Barbarian invasion was pacified, he once tried to seek a Qilin Blood of the Yong surname, but ultimately failed before the iron wall raised by the Five Surnames," Li Xizhou said. "I suspect him, because this person has no regard for sovereign, father, or taboos in his eyes. If he has his own scheme, he will certainly push it forward by any means necessary."

"What is he scheming for?"

"He has been rooted in the northern frontier for nearly thirty years, managing the Northern Army, building cities, and serving as the first city gate for contact and games with the Northern Barbarians... 'Prince of Yan' often no longer refers to a person, but a giant beast. Its movements are too many, so it is also difficult to clarify what it actually wants to do," Li Xizhou said. "However, one can roughly guess—if a person has already stood in such a position, the things worth looking at are merely those few."

"..."

"Of course, the Prince of Yan is the Prince of Yan, and the Prince of Yan's Mansion in the Divine Capital is the Prince of Yan's Mansion. Here, there is only that Heir Apparent." Li Xizhou finished her meal and said, "I think they may not have succeeded with Mother, at least they haven't reached the end yet. After all, twenty years have passed, and they are still stirring up wind and rain in the *jianghu*, using the Li family as a cover in the Divine Capital to smuggle the Scale Clan from the South Sea."

Seeing Pei Ye leaned against the pillar without saying a word, wondering what he was thinking.

Inside the hall, Li Xizhou had already risen to wash her hands. While wiping them, she said calmly, "By the way, I haven't asked you yet, are you accustomed to working under Xu Chuo?"

"Hm?" Seeing Pei Ye was slightly stunned, only then realizing this was a query from his big boss. He turned and bowed, "I am accustomed to it. Pavilion Master Xu has taken great care of me, and I have received much of her kindness since entering the capital."

Actually, he thought that the relationship between Xu Chuo and this Princess Jinyang was similar to the relationship between himself and Xu Chuo. He remembered Qi Zhaohua talking about his ambitions, saying "I wish to be an arm for a good prime minister." It seemed Xu Chuo was that "good prime minister," and this Princess was naturally the monarch.

"Because it has always been her communicating with Yue Muzhou, I ordered her to receive you after you entered the capital," Li Xizhou said. "If you have any dissatisfaction with her, just say so. I can transfer you to the Immortal Platform, or into the Longwu Army; it is all the same."

Seeing Pei Ye probably understood now why Xu Chuo had always treated him specially, always treating him as an equal. It turned out it was because he had already made a name for himself with the big boss—speaking of which, perhaps he was even on the same level as her, a staff member and a personal guard, after all.

Seeing Pei Ye smiled in his heart, regretting that he had been too respectful to Xu Chuo on ordinary days, but naturally, he had to be loyal here. He said earnestly and respectfully, "This subordinate has no dissatisfaction. Pavilion Master Xu manages affairs rigorously, and this subordinate admires her greatly."

Li Xizhou nodded: "Close the doors. I am going to the sleeping quarters."

Seeing Pei Ye bowed and took his leave. He stepped forward to close the palace doors properly and then retreated down the steps. The palace lights and candles were sparse, and it was remote and quiet; being in the palace was actually like being in the wilderness. Cold stars were gradually appearing. He stretched, picked up his sword, and returned to the side hall on the left.

Li Xizhou carefully wiped her hands dry, not even letting a tiny trace of moisture remain.

It had been many years, and this was the first time another person had lived in this palace. The woman stood quietly in front of the mirror for a while, raised her hand to take off her gold mask, threw it on the table with a crisp *ding-dang* sound, picked up the wine bottle beside her, tilted her neck, and swallowed it in large gulps like water, until the whole bottle was empty.

She panted twice, raised her sleeve to wipe the wine stains from her lips, and felt a fire burning in her belly. She entered the sleeping quarters, passed through, and walked straight into a deeper place. There were no candles in the corridor, nor in the palace, but she was already incomparably familiar with the turns of this path. In just a moment, a few points of warm orange light lit up in front, like the sunset after dusk rising again in the night.

Li Xizhou lit the candles in the hall and swayed slightly as she came before these few huge alchemy furnaces, looking at the clear iron-carved text beside them, carved in extremely upright and solemn strokes, about several hundred characters.

Even though it had been many times, Li Xizhou would still meticulously confirm it again, seriously memorizing every character in her heart.

Li Xizhou stood still for a moment, feeling the strength of the wine beginning to rise. She turned around and opened the first alchemy furnace. What flowed out was not pills, but a vermilion liquid, thick like melted sugar water.

She felt a pungent dizziness, frowned, and used a white jade plate to catch it.

"The pill is called: 【Four Gods Sealing Blood Gen Snow Pill】"

"Consume within one moment after the pill is formed, at most nine pills."

"First, the blood of the *Bi'an* is violent, used to charge the formation and break the connection of the Qilin Blood. Its fire nature harms the body; it needs to be mixed with the medicinal properties of the Small Return Pill, limited to seven drops. More than that, and there is a risk to life."

"... Refine for seventy days, store in a pure white jade plate."

Li Xizhou placed the white jade plate over a warm fire and walked toward the second alchemy furnace. She opened it, and this time what flowed out was a crystal-blue liquid, clear and dreamy, revealing a soul-chilling coldness. Li Xizhou used a glazed plate to catch it.

"Second, the blood of the Water Dragon is soft and cold, used to surround and bind the broken Qilin Blood, extinguishing its burning. Its water nature is chillingly cold; too much will also harm the body. However, to ensure the Qilin Blood does not leak, it needs an extra thirty percent, preferably over twenty drops... Refine for sixty days, store in a glazed plate."

Li Xizhou placed this glazed plate beside the white jade plate, turned back, and opened the third alchemy furnace. A pure white liquid floating with clear mist flowed out, like a river between the *Lan* Mountains.

"Third, the blood of the Divine Crane is neutral, used to harmonize the Qi of the Qilin Blood, causing it to subside. Crane blood has harmonious Qi and does not harm the body, but it disturbs the mind and spirit; it is not suitable to drink too much, ten drops is appropriate... No need to refine, let it sit quietly in a pure environment for forty-nine days, take it with pure leaves and fresh flowers."

Li Xizhou caught it with a lotus leaf and placed it beside the other two bloods.

With the three bloods together, the strange smell made her head even more dizzy, and the wine Qi made her cheeks burn. Li Xizhou gathered her long hair back with both hands and tied it up, feeling her cheeks and neck a bit cooler. Then she took a small stone mortar, placed it in front of her, lifted her sleeve to reveal her left forearm, and made a cut on her wrist with a sharp little jade knife. Fresh red blood dripped into the mortar.

Five drops, enough to serve as a medicinal primer.

She raised her hand and licked the wound.

"I want a kind of pill like this." In the cold, empty palace, the young girl stood before Li Jian, not looking at him, her voice carrying a coldness unlike her age. "One that can suppress the Qilin Blood in my body."

"How could there be such a pill?"

"I have read many pharmacopoeias. Only the blood of the Immortal Hunt can counter the blood of the Immortal Hunt," the girl continued to say on her own. "I know the *Bi'an*. I want you to help me contact the Daoists and Dongting."

"Even if you contact them, there is no pill in the world born to seal Qilin Blood. The requirement to purify Qilin Blood concentration has been common for hundreds of years, yet even the Complete Truth Sect has never truly refined one."

"I can discuss it with them, any method will do... In short, I want a kind of pill like this," the girl repeated.

After licking it for a moment, the small wound sealed the blood flow, and the blood Qi in the mortar evaporated. The three kinds of blood beside it had already begun to pulse individually: the *Bi'an* blood was like boiling water, the Water Dragon blood touched fine ice crystals, and the Divine Crane blood mist flowed.

Li Xizhou picked up the plate, poured them into the mortar one by one, picked up the pestle, and began to pound it, one stroke after another.

About a moment later, the various colors mixed, and the strange phenomena blended. A pill truly appeared slowly in the mortar. It was constantly pounded to pieces by the woman, and the next moment it would group together again under the seal of the pure white blood. Until another moment passed, the quality of this little pill became like a cold white liquid bead. Every pound made it chaotic but not scattered. Only then did Li Xizhou discard the pestle.

Without taking anything else, she picked up the mortar, tilted her neck, and swallowed this Gen Snow Pill.

"Once the blood of the Three Gods enters, the blood of the Four Gods will be two raw and two cooked, which should be able to seal the Qilin Blood in the depths. However, this pill has a prohibition and no solution. After taking the pill, if Your Highness wishes to release the Qilin Blood, you must seek it within your own body; there will be no more external pills to assist."

"The blood of the Immortal Hunt is hard for a mortal body to bear. This pill is no ordinary pill; it will inevitably have four tribulations: harming the body, disturbing the mind, causing hallucinations, and blood loss. Other hidden dangers are unknown. Your Highness, please use it with caution."

Li Xizhou put down the mortar and gently pressed her forehead. The disaster of cold and heat suddenly arose in her body, as if her whole body were freezing and burning. At this time, the wine she had just drunk completely surged into her head and brain, slightly isolating those pains.

The firelight illuminated the woman's expressionless face for the last time. Pain was not allowed to appear on this face. Li Xizhou extinguished them and turned, staggering toward the sleeping quarters.

The sleeping quarters also had no candles. The entire Zhu Jingdian and the entire Imperial Palace were equally cold and lonely. She took off her clothes, crawled into the cold bed, and curled up, closing her eyes in the intense dizziness.

Whenever the Qilin Blood was deeply suppressed, she could touch that dream again in the pain and trance.

Perhaps only by forgetting can I find you.

The hall was as dark and cold as ever. When she woke up, there was no one in the tall room. The ceiling was black and high, and the chill spread from the deepest part of her body. Every part of her belly was cold, and she was in pain from being frozen.

The palace maid sister said she was already four years old and couldn't keep waking people up by crying at night. She didn't cry anymore, turned her head to bite the quilt and shiver, and curled up again, hugging her own cold feet.

She didn't know how long this period lasted, but when the pain of freezing reached the end, it brought out a kind of scorching heat, which would make her stretch her body straight all at once, rolling around on the bed, unable to curl up anymore. And after this repeated three times, things could be vaguely seen in the hall.

Dim and cool, after half a day, her body finally had some small strength. She propped herself up to sit up from the bed and slowly put on her clothes with trembling arms. When she was sitting quietly and obediently on the edge of the bed, a tall figure walked in, yawning and carrying warm breakfast.

Breakfast time was a quarter of an hour. She didn't understand this time well, but she knew she had to try to eat faster. She lowered her head and bit the pastry. The palace maid sister went behind her, grabbed her hair, combed it twice, and tied it into a simple bun.

After the meal, she left the hall and was sent to another big house. It was those few tall figures waiting for her again. She was placed on a table and listened to them saying words she couldn't understand.

Even though it had been many times, she still couldn't help but be afraid at this time. She wanted to seek the palace maid sister's hand, but through the gap, she only saw her chatting and laughing with people not far away, never casting a glance this way.

Cutting small holes in her arms, feeding her strange medicine, injecting things into her body that caused cold and heat again... These things always made her cry, but after enduring everything, she would pale with a small face and look forward to it.

Every day at this time, she could go to the Zichen Hall.

Most of the time, that figure who always stood very high was busy and didn't look at her much, but very occasionally, very occasionally, he would turn his head to look at her and even ask her a few words.

Unlike the other tall figures, although this figure was also a bit strange, he always made her feel close. Occasionally, when the palace maid sister picked her up, she always inexplicably looked forward to it being the hand from this figure.

But today seemed a bit unfortunate. When she was helped by the palace maid sister to step over the high threshold, that figure was also just walking out of the gate. Beside him was the woman who made her a bit afraid. The two were saying something.

At this time, she heard the person following behind say, "Your Majesty, the Eldest Princess's Qilin Blood test has been through three cycles. It is estimated that after activation, it can barely reach the imperial qualification, but it is still nearly half worse than the Second Highness."

The adults around were all quiet for a moment. The man took something to look at, was silent for a while, nodded, and said, "Understood. No need to bring her to pay respects in the future."

"Yes."

She didn't understand what they were saying about her, only looked up at the man. The man also lowered his head to look at her at this time.

Her eyes brightened, but she was also a bit afraid of his cold and stern face, and timidly whispered, "... Father."

The man did not answer, seemed to raise his hand slightly, put it down again, turned around, and walked out of the hall with an expressionless face. The mighty crowd of strangers followed.

She was a bit disappointed, because before meeting tomorrow, she had to endure that pain all over again. ===== CHAPTER 593 =====