Hammer in her left hand, sword in her right, the eldest sister is connected to both worlds.

Chapter 245 Emperor Jingyuan

Xue Tong rested at Yu Niang's house for one night, and then began to firmly abandon his plan to give up.

She briefly mentioned the matter of Jilan Xiaozhu at the dinner table last night.

Yu Niang told Xue Tong that since she and Xue Lan left the capital, the cloth shop next to Ji Lan Xiao Zhu had also moved.

Who is wiping the plaque of Jilan Xiaozhu, and who is constantly renewing the lease for Jilan Xiaozhu?

It seems only the Xie family remains.

As instructed on Xue Lan's note, she also needed to find time to meet Xie Lingchao. Xue Lan called this thing "resolving karma."

She had been wondering whether she should trespass into the palace, but now it seemed that all she needed to do was lie there and wait for Xie Lingchao to come looking for her.

Enjoy the leisure time.

Changsheng Street, Liu Mansion.

In the exquisite landscape arrangement in the backyard, there stands a small octagonal glazed pavilion. A woman dressed in a dark green gown stands in front of the stone table in the pavilion, brewing tea.

Behind him, a man in a crimson official robe was holding something and teasing the koi in the pond.

Liu Ming poured the steaming tea into a teacup, watching the small vortex rise within it, and said in a gentle, calm voice, "Someone has arrived at Jilan Cottage."

Lyndon poured everything he was holding into the pond, letting the koi scramble for it.

The man's voice was casual yet mocking: "As expected of His Majesty's henchman, is there anything in this entire capital that you, Lord Liu, don't know?"

Liu Mingyi picked up a cup of tea from the table, took a sip, and felt the warm tea slowly enter her stomach, making her feel warm all over.

"I just got out of prison, and I only just found out about it."

Lyndon nodded, his slender fingers tapping the white jade belt at his waist. The young man pondered for a moment, then lowered his voice and asked Liu Mingyi:

"What did your Majesty say?"

Liu Mingyi sat on the stone bench by the table and shook his head at Lin Deng: "The person arrived last night, and there is still no news from His Majesty."

Linden walked from the pond into the pavilion, skillfully picked up a cup of tea from the table, and then the two of them began to stare blankly in the direction of the palace.

These two men are: one is the last civil official promoted by Xie Xiao before his death, who is now a prime minister at the age of thirty-six. He has been to Fuyang City and has even met immortals. He is skilled in both literature and martial arts, and is the leading figure in the literary world of Da Shun today.

Another was the commander-in-chief of the Golden Kite Guard, Emperor Jingyuan's personal bodyguard. When His Majesty was still a princess, he followed Xie Xiao to wreak havoc on all sides. He planned ahead and eliminated most of the corrupt officials in the court at a New Year's Eve banquet.

Both of them are ruthless individuals, and in the eyes of outsiders, they have always been at odds.

One said the other was too murderous, while the other said the other had become stupid from studying too much.

These two seemingly irreconcilable killing gods, in the eyes of outsiders, are now sighing and sipping tea in this courtyard, trying to guess Xie Lingchao's thoughts, and even showing some mutual appreciation.

After a long silence, Linden suddenly spoke up: "I've never met that Miss Xue, so I don't know... what her personality is like?"

Liu Mingyi replied, "Probably similar to His Majesty's."

Lin Xiang quietly turned his head and cursed in his hometown dialect, which Liu Ming could not quite understand.

After hurling his insults, he turned around and became the refined and cultured Prime Minister Lin again.

He was a model of noble character and integrity among the scholars of the Great Shun Dynasty who wrote poems.

"My lords, His Majesty summons you."

A sharp, feminine voice came from outside the courtyard. It was Xie Lingchao's father-in-law.

The two put down their teacups, looked at each other, and smiled.

In the imperial palace, in the royal study.

Xie Lingchao was reviewing memorials at his desk, with an open secret note next to the inkstone on his right.

The secret note read:

“The Lonely Mist Abode is strange; immortals have returned.”

The woman searched through Xue Lan's memories, as if looking for a Buddhist rosary lost a hundred years ago in a dilapidated temple that had not been cleaned for many years.

I found it, but I can't remember it.

When that immortal left, he told her that Xie Lingchao could set a precedent for all ages, and she did it, and she succeeded.

If you have a clear conscience, there's nothing to be afraid of.

After the memorials piled on the table were reviewed and corrected one by one, the lifelike five-clawed golden dragon on the woman's body seemed to come alive under the candlelight.

It seemed as if he would fly out of the dragon robe and soar through the clouds at any moment, flying high in the heavens.

A voice came from outside the Imperial Study: "Your Majesty, Lord Liu and Lord Lin have arrived."

Xie Lingchao raised his eyes and calmly said, "Go in."

Liu Mingyi was the first to push the door open and enter. The moment the door opened, a ray of morning light shone on the floor of the Imperial Study.

Linden followed Liu Mingyi inside, and as he was about to close the door, he was stopped by the person sitting at the desk:

"Qingfan, don't close the door."

"Just leave it open."

Liu Mingyi and Lin Deng exchanged a glance, and Lin Deng lowered his hand from closing the door. He bowed to Xie Lingchao and said, "Your Majesty."

Xie Lingchao picked up a document from Fuyang City and slowly opened it. It said that the triennial troop rotation was about to begin, and in order to better prepare for battle, Fuyang City would once again begin allocating military supplies.

Liu Mingyi was waiting for Xie Lingchao to tell her about Xue Lan, but unexpectedly, His Majesty spoke about something else: "Qingfan!"

Lyndon quickly stood up: "Your subject is here."

"The troop rotation at Luoxia Mountain is imminent. You must personally take the provisions and supplies to Fuyang City and make sure to deliver everything to Miss Cui. The soldiers returning from the battlefield must be properly settled. Since you promised her family a reunion, you must keep your word..."

After finishing discussing a whole bunch of odds and ends, it was already noon, and Xie Lingchao invited the two of them to have lunch in the palace.

After picking up a piece of braised pork knuckle with his chopsticks, Liu Mingyi finally realized what was happening.

Xie Lingchao didn't care at all about the return of the immortal from Jilan Xiaozhu.

Looking at her expression, Xie Lingchao had a vague idea in his mind.

So, after lunch, the three of them gathered again in the imperial study. Xie Lingchao, holding the secret slip in his hand, asked, "Are you all wondering why I didn't mention the immortals?"

Liu Mingyi and Lin Deng did not speak, but Xie Lingchao understood the hidden meaning in their silence perfectly.

The woman burst into hearty laughter in the imperial study: "It's July now, and the seven cities of the Southern Region are about to begin their autumn harvest. The soldiers on the front lines are being rotated, and everything from their armor to their weapons needs to be replaced. General Ji has sent a battle report from the front lines: the Demon Clan has been lying low for many years, but today they have suddenly made their move..."

"Which of these matters is less important than seeing the immortals?"

The woman stood up and walked around the chairs of her two trusted confidants: "My Qingfan Mingyi, stop trying to guess my thoughts!"

"How can I waste my trusted advisors on such a trivial matter?"

The tense atmosphere among them was eased by Xie Lingchao's words. Lin Deng sat down halfway in his chair and pointed to the large map behind Xie Lingchao:

"Your Majesty, we are now in the thirteen cities of the Southern Region!"

Xie Lingchao paused for a moment, then turned to look at the huge map behind him.

My eyes immediately welled up with tears.

Over the course of nine years, the Shengyu Army and the large army composed of disciples from various immortal sects have continued to advance, and have now reclaimed the six cities that were previously occupied by the demon race and turned into a wasteland.

The woman smiled and said, "Qingfan is right, it was I who forgot!"

As Emperor Jingyuan spoke, the door to the imperial study creaked open.

A gentle breeze slipped in through a crack, ruffling the stray hairs at Xie Lingchao's temples, revealing a few silver strands mixed in with the jet-black color.

Neither Linden nor Liu Mingyi spoke.

In the afternoon, Lord Lin, a trusted advisor, listened to the tasks Xie Lingchao had assigned him and couldn't help but ask:

"Your Majesty, I am responsible for the handover of soldiers during rotations, escorting provisions and supplies, and even handling the requisition of funds from the Ministry of Revenue..."

The young man drew a circle in front of Xie Lingchao, then pointed at Liu Mingyi, his tone full of resentment:

"Then what is she doing?"

Xie Lingchao smiled slightly: "Of course, you'll accompany me to see the immortal!"

Lin Xiang, seething with resentment, went straight to the Minister of Revenue's house after leaving the palace. He wreaked havoc, drawing universal scorn, and nearly sold a fine inkstone from the man's table. Enraged, the over-sixty-year-old Minister of Revenue, Lord Qin, brandished the inkstone and threatened to smash him to death!

However, Lin Xiang was still not satisfied after all this fuss. Three days later, before setting off for Fuyang City, he submitted a box of memorials to Xie Lingchao, specifically impeaching Liu Mingyi. Xie Lingchao read a few and found them amusing, so he called Liu Mingyi, who was sitting by the window, to take a look as well.

Liu Mingyi came over and read a few of the memorials, finding them amusing but not daring to laugh.

Although Lyndon was a man, and a well-behaved gentleman who had followed the rules since childhood, he never looked down on women. The words in these memorials were so sharp, sarcastic, and vicious that he showed no mercy whatsoever.

Liu Mingyi chuckled softly: "He really does see me as a political enemy."

Both of them laughed after hearing this.

"Let me see how funny it is." A clear voice came, and Xie Lingchao saw that the memorial in his hand was grabbed by a soft, fair hand.

Looking up, she saw a familiar yet unfamiliar face.

Xue Tong jumped in through the window; even a fairy can defy convention.

The young girl bowed deeply to Xie Lingchao: "Xue Tong greets Your Majesty!"

Xie Lingchao hadn't expected Xue Tong to appear before her in such an unrefined manner, and his voice was a little hoarse: "Miss Xue Tong, it's been a long time."

Xue Tong looked the elegant woman in front of him up and down, then slowly said, "Your Majesty, all karma and fate must be resolved. I have come to see you on my elder sister's orders."

The young girl stood by the window, her peach-pink dress elegant and graceful, like a peach blossom in full bloom in March. Her eyes were bright as stars: "Now it seems that Your Majesty has set a precedent for all ages."

Xie Lingchao smiled slightly, looked at the dragon robe he was wearing, and then nodded firmly to Xue Tong.

"I have reigned for eight years and have no regrets."

These eight words not only brought tears to Xie Lingchao's eyes, but also made Xue Tong's heart begin to heat up.

Along the way, she heard many rumors about Xie Lingchao.

But it wasn't until this moment, when she saw Xie Lingchao standing right in front of her in a dragon robe, that she finally broke free from the unreal feeling brought about by the so-called plot.

The princess in the story, who spent her entire life working for others and being constantly criticized by powerful families, finally ascended to a high and mighty position thanks to Xue Lan's efforts.

He donned the dragon robe, became a wise ruler, and his story was passed down for thousands of miles.

She's not the powerful princess behind the scenes, nor is she the protagonist's mother-in-law, as readers jokingly refer to her as...

The young girl smiled gently: "Your Majesty, may you live a long and healthy life."

As she finished speaking, a golden causal line suddenly appeared on Xie Lingchao's body, swept past Xue Tong, and flew directly behind her.

The girl turned around somewhat stiffly. In the early autumn afternoon breeze, a woman in a flamboyant red dress sat on the wall, like a peerless swordsman from a storybook.

Xue Lan looked at the three stunned people below and shook the causal threads on her wrist:

"Um, I'm here to find my sister, and then I'm going to get struck by lightning..."