Chapter 200: Still Awake? Then You

Humming—

As Wu Xian stepped into the imperial palace, a transparent ripple spread across his third eye, his invisible spiritual awareness surging forth at an unimaginable speed, sweeping every corner of the palace and returning the information he sought.

In the blink of an eye, his spiritual force returned; Wu Xian closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, then raised an eyebrow as if discovering something, turning his gaze toward a certain direction.

Instantly, his figure flickered slightly, vanishing from where he stood, and reappeared before a magnificent, exquisitely crafted palace.

Weiyang Palace.

The palace of the current Western Chu Empress—the legendary beauty of the realm, the Chunqiu Sejia.

Don't misunderstand: Wu Xian didn't come here out of lust, nor did he intend to paint the Western Chu Emperor's forehead with some eco-friendly color. After all, he prided himself as a pure-love warrior, above associating with villains like Cao Cao.

The best proof? Wu Su. He lived inside the Lyang Imperial Palace for nearly a month without so much as touching a single finger of any of the concubines. The rumors that he was a gentle man who loved wives, hosting silver parties in the harem every night, were pure slander.

He came here solely out of curiosity—to see what this Chunqiu Sejia, who never truly appeared in the original novel, actually looked like, and just how beautiful she had to be to be called the number-one beauty of the realm.

Wu Xian wasn't boasting; after sharing memories from other worlds, he'd seen at least eighty or a hundred peerless beauties.

Not to mention the countless beauties of the Tang world—just pick any female lead from Guwu Wu Xian's own story, and they were all on par with Xi Shi or Diaochan. His aesthetic standards had skyrocketed lately; even Wu Su seemed ordinary to him, barely sparking any interest.

Thinking this, he walked into the palace, ignoring the palace maids, and openly passed through the main hall to reach the inner courtyard.

As soon as he entered, a refreshing mist of water vapor washed over him. It was peak summer, yet this sudden coolness brought him immense comfort.

Wu Xian raised an eyebrow, scanning around, and saw a vast pond ahead, where large green lotuses stood tall like arrows, swaying gently in the breeze, their pink, white, and crimson blooms shifting in countless graceful forms. The boundless green seemed to cool even the sweltering summer.

Gazing at this scene, Wu Xian couldn't help but sigh, "Rich people really know how to enjoy life," then strolled toward the elegant pavilion at the pond's center, veiled by layers of snow-white silk curtains.

Clearly, the person he wanted to meet was inside.

As the mist-like silk curtains fluttered softly, filtering the heavier wind, Wu Xian stepped inside—and everything around him seemed to freeze.

In the center of the pavilion, a white figure slept upon a bamboo recliner, her delicate body curled like a baby's.

Her cloud-like hair was lush and lustrous, her cheeks flushed with color; her skin, like congealed fat, emitted a faint glow. Her jade hand rested gently beneath her cheek in tranquil slumber.

Her ink-black tresses spilled loosely, exuding an enchanting grace like a painted scene; up close, they stirred the soul. Even the entire courtyard's lotuses paled before this peerless face.

"Chunqiu Sejia—deservedly… hmm?!"

Wu Xian's eyes brimmed with admiration, but as he clearly saw the girl's face and form, he couldn't help but let out a soft "Huh?"

Thanks to Guwu Wu Xian's relentless study of the "Yinyang Dabeifu," he had gained considerable insight into dual-cultivation, though he rarely used it—his eye for quality remained flawless.

In his view, the girl before him was a rare celestial furnace, rich in pure primordial yin, untainted and unbroken—clearly still a virgin.

But here was the problem: the Western Chu Empress had entered the Chu royal harem three years ago. With her beauty, even if the Chu Emperor didn't spend every night in pleasure, he'd surely have been "neglecting court affairs." How could she still be a virgin?

Could the Chu Emperor be impotent? Then how did Jiang Ni come to be?

Wu Xian recalled the original novel and quickly spotted the twist.

In the original, Jiang Ni was three years younger than Xu Fengnian—meaning she wouldn't be born for another three years.

In other words, the Western Chu Empress conceived Jiang Ni five years after marrying the Chu Emperor. Given ancient society's obsession with heirs, this delay was absurd. Especially since the Empress was famed across the land; even if the Emperor had low fertility, constant effort should've yielded results long ago.

Thinking this, Wu Xian's eyes flashed blue—he used the Shuangquan Hand technique to probe the Western Chu Empress's memories from afar.

And then…

"So old-school. Didn't think the Chu Emperor was this sentimental."

After viewing her memories, Wu Xian's lips twitched.

The Western Chu Empress's name was Jun Pianxian, the legitimate daughter of a founding marquis. Like most female-novel tropes, Jun Pianxian, though stunningly beautiful and raised in luxury, harbored a martial world dream, yearning for freedom.

But because she was too beautiful, her family treated her as a priceless asset, orchestrating a "chance" encounter with the current Chu Emperor.

Predictably, he fell for her, and soon after issued an edict to make Jun Pianxian Empress of Chu, bringing her into the harem.

It was from then that her title as the number-one beauty spread, and with deliberate promotion, she became one of the Thirteen Sejia of the Chunqiu era.

Interestingly, the Chu Emperor seemed to sense Jun Pianxian's sorrow and resentment. He restrained his desires and vowed to wait until she fell in love with him before consummating their marriage—aiming not just for her body, but her heart.

Wu Xian's head filled with black lines. Seeing this memory, he automatically recalled watching "My Fair Princess" as a child—Emperor Qianlong treating Fragrant Concubine exactly like this.

"Idiot!"

He sneered. If he were the Chu Emperor, he'd have already bent Jun Pianxian into a hundred and eight positions. Wouldn't affection grow with time?

Of course, the Chu Emperor wasn't truly honest—he'd kept his promise and never touched Jun Pianxian, but over these three years, he hadn't missed a single other concubine in the harem.

Judging from their recent interactions, this guy wouldn't last much longer as a virtuous man—he'd soon make his move on Jun Pianxian.

As for Jun Pianxian's current feelings toward the Chu Emperor…

How to put it? The Chu Emperor was forty in lunar age—twenty years her senior. His appearance and physique were ordinary. His poetry, the only thing worth praising, meant nothing to Jun Pianxian, a martial world enthusiast.

So while she appreciated his respect, expecting her to fall in love with him within three years was simply unrealistic.

"The prince dreams, the goddess has no heart!"

Muttering to himself, Wu Xian's gaze fell on the girl's graceful curves. His eyes narrowed slightly, then he muttered:

"Come to think of it, if she hasn't been slept with yet, then she's not really a 'bull'… right?"

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(End of chapter)