Chapter 100: Fearless and Invincible
The bridal
chamber was filled with the smell of incense, and together with the thick scent
of perfume and powder, it made an overpowering mix that made her sick. Li
Weiyang attempted a smile and whispered something in Lao Furen’s ear, who
promptly waved her hands in dismissal. “Go, go.”
As Li Weiyang
left, only Li Changle paid her any attention; she briefly lifted her eyes to
glance at her, before resuming her conversation with Jiang Yuelan.
With the
breath of fresh air that came with her escape outside, Li Weiyang immediately
felt better. Baizhi asked curiously: “Xiaojie, why did you come out?”
“The
firecrackers outside are so loud, I’m afraid Min Zhi would be startled by
it, so I told Lao Furen that I’ll go check on him.” Li Weiyang said with a
smile.
Min Zhi was
her own brother, and at only 1 month old, he had already won Lao Furen’s heart.
Of course, not only Lao Furen was charmed; Li Xiaoran also sent people to enquire
after him around 3 times a day, so Li Weiyang’s excuse for leaving was fully
understandable.
As she
strolled past the pond, she saw that the numerous lotus flowers had wilted,
leaving behind dead leaves and empty ripples on the water. Li Weiyang suddenly
stopped in her tracks. “I want to walk by myself, Baizhi and Zhaoyue may stay
with me. Mo Zhu, bring the rest of them back.”
Mo Zhu knew
that her mistress’ mood was hard to predict, so she merely lowered her voice.
“Yes, Xiaojie.” She left with the other Yatous, so there was only Li Weiyang
and her trusted confidants at the lotus pond.
“Xianzhu is
smart.” A handsome man emerged from behind the trees casually, with a faint
smile upon his lips.
Li Weiyang
turned towards the source of the voice, wearing a similar smile as she
recognized its owner. “The banquet is hosted in the front courtyard. What has
brought you here, Qi Huangzi?”
Tuoba Yu
merely smiled. “I still owe you a formal apology, so I simply told them I would
like to rest in the flower halls. That’s how I found myself here.”
Li Weiyang regarded him with suspicion. “Apology?”
A sliver of
coolness flashed in Tuoba Yu’s eyes, but before he could explain himself, she
had already caught onto his meaning. “Haven’t you already apologised for that?”
Both of them
were speaking strangely, but Baizhi and Zhaoyue guarded their senses,
pretending as if they had overheard nothing.
Tuoba Yu
couldn’t help but quirk his brows in a smile. “I had thought you’d be angry for
a long time.”
“Even if I was very angry, seeing Qi Huangzi’s
effort in sending me money… as the receiver, I cannot possibly do nothing. On
the account of your sincerity, I have to forgive you.” She was not losing out
on the matters she had invested in, but since Tuoba Yu made such an attempt to
send her money, she definitely wouldn’t put on airs and reject it. Since De Fei
had tried to harm her previously, she would take this as a form of payment.
Tuoba Yu
looked helpless. “After what had happened that day, my Mu Fei was bedridden for
an entire 3 months; you should be appeased by that.”
There was a
trace of strangeness in Li Weiyang’s grin. “That’s merely interest repayment!”
“Sorry that
you had to show mercy!” Tuoba Yu smiled warmly, taking two steps forward. Li
Weiyang took a step back, leaving his hand hanging in the air. His smile
remained pleasant. “I only wanted to help you sweep away the leaves in your
hair…”
Li Weiyang‘s
smile was warm as well. “There’s no need for you to bother yourself.”
No matter how
strong Tuoba Yu was, a flash of hurt still crossed his eyes. “Do you hate me
because of what happened with Mu Fei?”
At the mention
of De Fei, some hostility surfaced in Li Weiyang, but she managed to cover it
up with a restrained smile. “Qi Huangzi, what are you saying? I’m only a small
pawn, too insignificant to make an impact on the game.”
Tuoba Yu shook
slightly, unsure if it was due to the wind, or the shock. He had used this
exact sentence as an explanation to De Fei; no matter how hard he tried to
convince her that she was an ally, De Fei refused to believe it. It was not her
fault, because who would trust that the series of blows aimed at San Huangzi
were orchestrated by a sheltered Xiaojie. Not to mention, De Fei was already
biased against Li Weiyang, seeing her as a threat. So, to temporarily appease De
Fei, Tuoba Yu had no choice but to pretend that he only saw Li Weiyang as an
unimportant chess piece used for his own benefit, so that she would leave her
alone. He never would have thought that Li Weiyang could find out what he did.
“Qi Dianxia,
there’s no need for you to panic. I’m not so capable to the extent that I am
able to arrange spies to watch De Fei. I merely understand De Fei Niang Niang’s
character very well; if you did not act indifferent towards me, she would not
have given up so easily.”
Tuoba Yu
couldn’t help but laugh. “If Mu Fei were to find out that you are the chess
player instead, she would have been frightened to death.”
“The chess
player is neither me not Dianxia, it is the deity above. Previously we had
managed to destroy much of Tuoba Zhen’s secrets, has there been any action from
him recently?” Li Weiyang simply smiled.
Tuoba Yu froze
and attempted to calm his thoughts, frowning ever so slightly. “San Ge’s movements
outside of court is not notable. He knows that Fu Huang’s health is not good of
late, so he invited a holy master to take a look. Initially, we didn’t care
much about this person, but in the past 6 months, Fu Huang’s trust in him has
increased, and he seems to have an influence on his actions.”
“Yin Tianzhao?” Li Weiyang’s eyebrows knit together.
“Yes,
Xianzhu’s information is really accurate.” Tuoba Yu nodded in amazement.
Li Weiyang
smiled bitterly. It wasn’t that her source of information was good; this Master
Yin was someone from her past that she knew very well. Previously, Tuoba Zhen
had made use of this Master Yin to gain the Emperor’s trust and love; he was an
important player in Tuoba Zhen’s path to power.
However,
according to her memory, Master Yin should not have entered the palace until
another 7 years later, but now… could it mean that history is about to be
re-written? No, ever since her rebirth, many things have changed. For example,
she entered the Li Residence half a year earlier than in her previous life, Qi
Yiniang and Min De had both managed to survive, and the birth of Min Zhi…
Perhaps her very existence is a paradox. If she had not forced his hand, Tuoba
Zhen wouldn’t bring such an important chess piece into play so much earlier.
“How is Dianxia prepared to deal with it?” Li Weiyang said with a smile.
A thread of
coldness unwound through Tuoba Yu’s eyes. “This type of despicable liar cannot
be allowed to remain, I have already instructed someone to raise a petition
against him. We definitely have to find a way to remove him from the
palace.”
Upon hearing
that, Li Weiyang couldn’t help but frown. This is exactly the same tactic that Qi
Huangzi had tried using previously, but the outcome? The Emperor had trusted
and depended heavily on Master Yin, so he was extremely unhappy when he
received the petition. He felt that his ministers had banded together to go
against him, so he heavily chastised the three ministers who had submitted it,
even removing them from their posts.
The Emperor’s
extreme attitude towards this matter made Tuoba Yu realise that Master Yin’s
position was not simple, and could not be shaken so easily. Three years later,
on Master Yin’s advice, the Emperor had totally distanced himself from Tuoba Yu,
and completely depended his divination lots to handle matters, thus effectively
allowing most of the power to be controlled by Tuoba Zhen.
Qi Huangzi’s
supporters, including Luo Guo Gong, had attempted to change the situation by
gathering a few close ministers to congregate outside the palace, kneeling and
crying out. They had demanded that the Emperor dismiss Master Yin, or they
would remain on their knees until then. Usually this method could work, as
appeasing public resentment is often crucial. However, the Emperor had already
been ensnared by Master Yin, so hearing their cries made him extremely
frustrated and angry instead. He ordered his imperial guards to arrest all 42
ministers and throw them into the dungeons, and to flog them the next day. Even
so, Master Yin still harboured a grudge, instigating the Emperor to punish the
top 12 ministers again. After two days of flogging, 6 of the 42 ministers had
died, leaving 20 severely injured, and the rest did not dare to voice out
again. Qi Huangzi, who had originally been doted on, was pushed even further
away from the centre of power, and after an incident where he was framed by Tuoba
Zhen, no one dared to speak for him anymore.
Luo Guo Gong might
be smart, but he was not made to meddle in politics, and most importantly, he
did not have the ability to guess the Emperor’s moods; hence a matter which
could have been transformed into benefit turned into one down a path of no
return, destroying a future which had potentially great prospects.
Li Weiyang
studied Tuoba Yu, her smile deepening. “This… I’m afraid it won’t be
appropriate.”
Tuoba Yu knew
it was not the best idea, but ever since this Master Yin had entered the
palace, he had suggested all sorts of weird notions, so he could not sit idly
by and watch him grow his influence.
“If you want
to defeat Yin Tianzhao, it’s easy. The hard task is his backer.” Li Weiyang
said slowly.
Tuoba Yu
knitted his brows. “You are saying… San Ge?”
Li Weiyang
couldn’t control her smile from quirking. “You’re wrong, your San Ge is not the
one who can protect Yin Tianzhao. His real protector is Bi Xia.”
“My Fu Huang?”
Tuoba Yu was an intelligent man, and he seemed to have suddenly realised
something. “You are right. The one who really protects and trusts him is my Fu
Huang; so long as there remains a day he is in his trust, we cannot do anything
to him!”
“Yes, exactly.
Qi Dianxia, Bi Xia is fifty years old this year, and the women in the harem
number by the thousands. With so many beauties by his side, isn’t it wasted if
he can only look? Additionally, watching his sons slowly growing older and
stronger, it is only natural that he feels fear.”
Such words
from Li Weiyang was completely out of line; thankfully Tuoba Yu had already
arranged for them to remain isolated from others. Hearing it still surprised
him greatly, but she continued on, “Bi Xia firstly, wants to be immortal and
enjoy peace, and secondly, to remain fit and strong so that he can enjoy the
company of beautiful women and have a long line of descendants. He has pinned
his hopes for these two wishes on Master Yin, so since Master Yin is able to
treat his illness and make him strong quickly, it is no wonder that Bi Xia
likes him so much.”
Tuoba Yu did
not agree, though. “Those pills that he gave to Fu Huang, it is only
temporary…”
“Yes, it is
only a short term effect. But to a man at Bi Xia’s age, rather than suffer such
discomfort, even if it is false strength, he’ll accept it so long as he appears
fit. Also, how much does Dianxia know of Yin Tianzhao?” Li Weiyang said,
smiling.
“He is from
Min Zhou, a priest from Mount Xuanyuan’s Shang Qing Gong. Shang Qing Gong is
the ancestral home of Heavenly Masters, and Grand Master Zhang is the current
presiding leader living there. Master Yin knew very well how to deceive the
common people, so the locals believed that he could pray for rain and snow, and
heal illnesses. That’s why Fu Huang felt that he had acquired a treasure.”
Tuoba Yu reported his findings.
Li Weiyang
shook her head. “This Yin Tianzhao is nearing eighty years old now, but he has
a head full of hair and a rosy complexion, so he is definitely not without any
skill. As I know it, he also has a political mind; ten years ago, the rebel
prince Tuoba Yu tried to recruit him to his cause, offering him 50 bars of
gold. He was never swayed, which showed that he was smart and knew how to judge
who was in power and who wasn’t; or perhaps he did know some heavenly secret we
have no idea of.”
“Heavenly
secret?!” Tuoba Yu’s frown deepened. “I don’t believe he knows anything like
that! If he really knew, he wouldn’t be lured by Tuoba Zhen!”
Li Weiyang
sighed, in the past, she only had her suspicions; why would the usually
reclusive Yin Tianzhao suddenly listen to Tuoba Zhen and come to the palace...
Apparently Yin Tianzhao knew how to read the stars and perform divination, so
could he have predicted that Tuoba Zhen was fated to become the Emperor..? No,
maybe both of them had established a deal, but she could not guess anything
solid, as Tuoba Zhen did not even tell her in the past. This man simply had
intentions so deep that she could not comprehend.
“Dianxia, would
you agree that Yin Tianzhao is good at summoning the weather?”
Tuoba Yu was
obviously not moved. “You’re referring to the incident where he successfully
prayed for snow to fall during winter, despite it not snowing at all
previously? He was just plain lucky!”
Li Weiyang
smiled and shook her head again. “It wasn’t mere luck, but neither is it his
powers like Bixia thinks it is. He simply managed to guess the accurate time of
snowfall, so he bought time by ordering a praying platform be erected, then choosing
the specific timing to start praying for snow; hence winning more of Bixia’s
trust.”
Tuoba Yu
initially only felt irritation and hatred towards this person, but after
hearing Li Weiyang’s words, he couldn’t help but suspect if this Master really
had some skill at predicting the future. However, Li Weiyang still had more to
say.
“Not only
that, I heard that two months ago, Bixia’s concubines Wang Mei Ren and Lu Mei
Ren became pregnant, almost at the same time.” Li Weiyang said softly. This
piece of news was brought to her by Li Min De; it had caused much uproar
amongst the commoners, as Bixia was already 50 years old and there were seldom
such good news from his concubines anymore. But to have these tidings so soon
after Master Yin entered the palace... it seemed like there was some hidden
link between the two.
Tuoba Yu
seemed to have realised the connection as well. “Ever since Fu Huang followed Yin
Tianzhao’s request to regulate his health and be more devout in religious
matters, as well as drink the tonic he prepared, he did seem to have increased
energy. He has recently been very doting to his concubines, so other than those
two, Zhang Zhaoyi is also pregnant.”
“Therefore, since Master Yin has such power,
how can Bixia not trust him? You all protest against his practice of Taoism and
consuming divine pills, but who else has the ability to summon rain and snow,
to help the commoners in their crops? Who amongst you all would have the means
to let Bixia have a few more sons? You all cannot, but Yin Tianzhao is able to
do so; and this is exactly the reason why Dianxia trusts and relies on him so
much.” Li Weiyang said with a smile.
“But this
person…” Tuoba Yu abruptly stopped, and a cool smile appeared, “San Ge really
can resort to any tactics.”
“Why would he
send a useless person into the palace?” Li Weiyang’s outstretched hand crushed
the fallen leaf in her grasp, her smile growing warmer.
A murderous
glint shone in Tuoba Yu’s eyes. “I can send him up to the heavens.”
“If you get
rid of Yin Tianzhao, Tuoba Zhen will simply send a second one!” Li Weiyang
gazed at the fragments in her palm.
“Then what
should we do?” Tuoba Yu couldn’t help it; he faintly felt that his ability to
see through others is nothing compared to the lady before his eyes. However, he
did not feel disheartened, as he knew that each and every person had their forte
and purpose. He was willing to use her strengths to make up for his
shortcomings, which was a rare thing to do.
With a puff of
air, Li Weiyang scattered the remnants of the leaf, saying calmly: “There’s no
need to submit a petition against him. Dianxia, please have your men submit a
proposal tomorrow, praising Master Yin’s achievements and push for a residence
of his own to be erected. Additionally, suggest to the Emperor to grant him a
post as a Minister of Etiquette, with the rank of First Officer. In this way, Bixia
will definitely be delighted.”
Tuoba Yu was
shocked. “We still have to reward him?!” In fact, his allies had previously suggested
this, but Tuoba Yu had never liked dealing with the supernatural, and
especially hated people like Yin Tianzhao, whom he felt was a scammer and liar,
so he never took any action as suggested. He never thought that Li Weiyang would
give the same idea.
Li Weiyang
smiled. “This is just the first tactic; we counter poison with poison. The more
Bixia favours him, the more you have to hold him up to the skies. The moment he
falls from his pedestal, it will crush him entirely. Bixia will feel that he was
making use of the favour shown to him, which is unforgivable. Additionally, the
people who recommended him in the first place would also be dragged in!
The second
step is to divert the trouble. Yin Tianzhao has his powers, but his pill making
skills are not up to the mark yet, so he still makes mistakes. Every pill he
formulates, he’ll let others try it first before sending it to Bixia. If
Dianxia intends to do anything, you can attack via the pills! Of course, if you
can convince Bixia that since Tuoba Zhen is the one who introduced him, the
pills should be tested by San Huang Zi himself. Furthermore, he should display
his sincerity and filal piety by consuming it in front of everyone; that’ll be
a great show to watch!
And the last
step is to strike at the root of the problem. Dianxia might not know much about
survival, but you should know that if you want to rise upwards, you should
understand the theory that you need allies to support one another1. Yin
Tianzhao has 9 disciples, but they all have average knowledge and talent,
except one called Zhou Tianshou. In terms of divination and weather prediction,
he has surpassed his master, so Yin Tianzhao is extremely jealous of him and
fearful that he would steal the attention. Due to that, Master Yin has refused
to bring him into the palace. If Dianxia is able to find this person and send
him in to replace Yin Tianzhao, Dianxia will have a different position in Bixia’s
heart, and Yin Tianzhao will be one step closer to death.
However, no
matter which step of our plan, there is no definite success. Dianxia must know
how to get along and make use of the people Bixia dotes on!”
鱼帮水、水帮鱼1 – fish and water are beneficial to one
another. Indicates a mutually beneficial relationship is needed for survival.
Tuoba Yu shook
his head for the first time. “I can’t stand the thought of working with these
people!”
Believers
would trust that they were the real masters of heavenly secrets, but
unbelievers would feel that it was all a sham. Especially Yin Tianzhao, because
other than the usual pills, he also gave the Emperor a red heart pill for
long-term consumption. This red heart pill had a blend of Chinese traditional medicine,
animal innards, Qiu Shi, etc, but the worse of all was the menstrual blood of
young girls; which was unbelievably disgusting. However, these pills have
proven to be an effective aphrodisiac, so by using them, the Emperor believed
in whatever Master Yin said about using yin energy to boost his yang energy. In
Tuoba Yu’s eyes, it was merely a harmful substance.
Li Weiyang
understood his feelings, and couldn’t help a smile. There’s probably no Huang
Zi of royal birth that could tolerate priests like this, as well as the
ministers at court too. But Tuoba Zhen was different, which allowed him an
advantage over them.
“When it comes
to pleasing Bixia, Qi Huang Zi hasn’t put in enough effort.” Li Weiyang stated
slowly. That year, when Yin Tianzhao entered the palace, Tuoba Zhen had brought
in a huge pool of young women as well. To aid in the production of the red
heart pills, many of the palace maids had been forced to have their menstrual
cycle come early; Tuoba Zhen was indeed ruthless and cruel, but it gave the
Emperor the impression that he was the most filial son, so his love for him
eventually took over that of the Crown Prince, Tuoba Yu, and the rest of the
princes. The Emperor did not know, however, that the first thing Tuoba Zhen did
upon his ascension was to kill all the priests at court and tear apart their
order, as well as get kill off all witnesses! Deep in his heart, he despised
them the same way as Tuoba Yu, but he had no qualms about using them in his bid
for power.
“Dianxia, do you really want to lose the love and trust Bixia has for
you?”
“Is it even
possible that a person like Yin Tianzhao can distance me from Fu Huang?” Tuoba
Yu did not understand why Li Weiyang would say such a thing, a confused
expression appearing on his handsome face, lit by moonlight.
Li Weiyang sighed,
but she did not answer the question. “I’ve heard that Bixia has had problems
sleeping of late, so he has taken to ordering different princes stand watch for
him, sometimes sending them supper, is that true?”
Tuoba Yu was
taken aback at Li Weiyang’s accurate information, and he could only nod.
Li Weiyang let
out a breath; it seems like the Emperor’s habits had never changed. “I have
also heard that Tuoba Zhen would be extra nice to the eunuchs who bring the
edict, treating them as if they were equals. Whenever it came to his turn, he
would be found reading petitions late into the night, sometimes even staying up
and attending court the next day. Since the eunuchs had gained benefits from
him, they of course would report this to the Emperor. Other than that, they
would also tell him that other princes would be asleep at this hour, so even if
you’d really sacrificed your sleep for court matters, Bixia would think
otherwise. Because they would not bother telling Bixia what you’ve done, but
rather, they might actually speak ill of you.”
Tuoba Yu gazed
at Li Weiyang in disbelief, he had his men in place beside Bixia, but no one
had brought him information like this…
Li Weiyang’s
returning smile under the moonlight seemed extremely cold. “Eunuchs are human
too, if you have always treated them like servants, ordering them around, they
might turn against you easily. If Dianxia could treat them with the same amount
of respect you would with the ministers at court, I believe that they wouldn’t
be used by Tuoba Zhen. Of course, after Qi Dianxia has achieved your goal,
these people are up to you deal with.”
No minor
detail should be missed out, and Tuoba Yu was very clear on that. His agents
repeatedly had pointers for him, but no one had thought of such a fine and
small detail, because most people simply looked down on eunuchs. They felt that
granting them gifts of gold and silver would be enough; to treat them with
respect was more than what the royal princes could tolerate.
“So, Dianxia
should probably re-think your attitude towards these eunuchs from today
onwards.” Li Weiyang smiled, reminding him once again.
“I will
remember all that you’ve said.” Tuoba Yu was an intelligent man, but at the
same time, he was proud. Previously, he would never have agreed, but he had
realised that if he let his pride get into the way, one day Tuoba Zhen seize
the correct moment to destroy them all! When it came down to survival, it was
only human to follow their instincts and fight!
“I trust Dianxia
will know what to do tomorrow?” Li Weiyang asked tentatively, her deep eyes
reflecting the moonshine.
Tuoba Yu
inhaled. “I will listen to your advice and withdraw those petitions against Yin
Tianzhao, and submit the ones calling for his promotion instead. I will also
send men to find that Zhou Tianshou.”
“I shall wait for Dianxia’s good
news.”
Tuoba Yu
studied Li Weiyang fixedly, finally smiling. “You…” but did not know how to
continue. “I don’t have much power on your side, so please take care of
yourself.” He finally said, in a soft voice.
He never
felt that he was all powerful, and would be able to ease Li Weiyang’s troubles.
But right now, he realised that he had neglected to consider the hearts of the
common people at many occasions, and she had to remind him of that. So how
could he even promise that she would be free of worries?
Li Weiyang
knew that her point had been driven home, so she smiled gently. “Dianxia,
please take care.”
Once Tuoba Yu
left, a young man slowly came out from behind the artificial mountain. His
brows were thick and straight, his hair dark as ink and like a graceful flower,
and his gaze was devastatingly bright. Although his beauty was slightly diminished
under the cover of the night, he remained eye-catching. Li Weiyang saw him
covered in dust and could not help but giggle. “If I did not know you were
hiding in that tunnel, I would have gotten a fright.”
Li Min De frowned.
“His secret guards are too useless, what if it had been someone else who had
been hiding here?”
“Other than
you, who would know this hidden tunnel? Stop the pretence, you’re hiding here
purposely to mock at him right?” Li Weiyang said with a sigh.
“That’s not my
intention.” Li Min De glanced at Zhaoyue, who immediately grabbed Baizhi and
retreated 10 steps backwards.
In the two
years that Li Weiyang had returned to the Li Residence, she had seen how Li Min
De had grown from a child, and now surpassing her in height. She wondered what
he actually ate, and plus he was more gorgeous than other women; that
frustrated her, because if she only had half of his beauty, she would be able
to save a lot of effort on her plans. She knit her brows. “It seems that Li
Changle is no longer the first beauty in Da Li.”
Li Min De did
not expect this sentence, which struck him as a little strange.
“Every time
you come back from a trip outside, your hands are full of gifts and
trinkets. You’re making me so envious! Li Changle’s title of the most beautiful
should be given up to you sooner.” Li Weiyang said with a laugh.
Li Min De was
not amused. “Why should a man be born with such beauty?”
“Be it a man
or a woman, with such outstanding features, it’ll please the people around them,
so what is so bad about it?”
Li Min De kept
silent, and at a glance, Li Weiyang knew that he was angry. She stepped forward
and caressed the side of his face. “Why, it is so easy to anger you! Let’s
discuss something more serious then. You were eavesdropping from behind the
artificial mountain, so what have you gained from that?”
“Must you help
Qi Huang Zi onto the throne?” Li Min De replied, laughing coldly.
“It is hard to
convince him; this person is too righteous for his own good. He hesitates to do
the dirty work that he knows he should do, but it is exactly from this trait
that ensures he will not abandon the people who have helped him after his task
is complete2. To me, that confirms my safety, isn’t it?” Li Weiyang
gestured with a flourish.
ç‹¡å…”æ»，走狗烹2 – once the sly rabbit is
dead, the hunting dog joins it in the stew. To get rid of those who’ve helped
once the aim is achieved.
“I don’t think the same way, that mother of his…”
Li Weiyang was
slightly taken aback. “You really know how to bear a grudge; it’s just a small
matter.”
Li Min De
simply raised his eyebrows in question; don’t you know how to bear grudges? You
even managed to scare De Fei so much, she didn’t dare to leave her residence
for 3 months.
Li Weiyang
read the hidden accusation in his fiery gaze and realised that her thoughts had
been exposed. She coughed delicately. “Of course, a little warning is
required.”
He continued
staring at her with his half-smile. His eyelashes were lush and thick, and his
irises like intricately carved pearls; you couldn’t bring yourself to lie when
looking into them.
Li Weiyang had
no such guilt, and deftly changed the topic. “If it was you, what would you
do?”
She did not
ask clearly, but Li Min De understood at once. He grinned. “If I was Tuoba Yu…
there are rumours that Bixia has recently been addicted to making priest hats
and gifting it to the princes. It’s a pity that everyone is too high up on
their pedestals to wear it, including the very person who recommended Yin
Tianzhao to the Emperor; San Huang Zi. Which goes to show that deep inside, he
looks down on those priests, despite what his actions say. If I were Tuoba Yu,
I’d wear that hat to court. It’s intricately made, and wearing it will demonstrate
loyalty to the Emperor, so why not?”
Li Weiyang
laughed, a true one this time. “You are more suitable to be a prince than Tuoba
Yu.” A prince not only needed to manage his ministers, but before he gained
power, pleasing the Emperor would be the first and foremost task. But getting
into his good books was not such an easy job; you needed the right amount of
finesse to not overdo it. “Such a pity you are not of royal birth, but well, it
is also a blessing.” She concluded gently.
Li Min De
smiled but did not reply. A distant wind blew towards them, ruffling his hair
and shielding the strange expression in his eyes. In her relaxed state, Li
Weiyang actually missed out such an occurrence. On the other side, however,
Zhaoyue’s head was hanging down, as if she very much wanted to sink into
the floor.
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Translator: Jaslynn
Editor: Pending
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Next: Chapter 100 Part 2
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