"Consort, may we see the Snow Root Orchid?" Chu Mingxuan asked with great anticipation.
"Of course!" Leng Ruoli answered readily.
To satisfy everyone's curiosity, Leng Ruoli casually took out a Snow Root Orchid from her sleeve pocket.
"This is the Snow Root Orchid we've been searching for on Tianyun Mountain for a long time," Leng Ruoli said with a smile.
Everyone's eyes lit up as they saw the Snow Root Orchid in Leng Ruoli's hand, which was silvery white all over with vibrant red stamens.
"Consort, is this the legendary Snow Root Orchid? If you don't look closely, one might mistake this flower for a silver ornament," Yin Yi scratched his head and said.
"Yes, if this medicinal herb were dropped in the snow, it would be hard to find," Chu Mingxuan echoed.
He really wanted to take the Snow Root Orchid from Leng Ruoli's hand for a closer study, but glancing at the cold, fearsome figure standing beside her, he dared not speak.
Leng Ruoli saw through his thoughts at a glance and handed the Snow Root Orchid in her hand to Chu Mingxuan.
"Divine Doctor Chu, this Snow Root Orchid is for you to study at your leisure. I have more," Leng Ruoli said generously.
"Really? Consort?" Chu Mingxuan asked with a look of surprise.
Leng Ruoli nodded vigorously.
It hadn't been easy for Chu Mingxuan to follow her and Jun Mohan on their travels. She decided to give him a Snow Root Orchid.
"Everyone, please sit down and rest for a while. I'll prepare breakfast for everyone now. After eating, we'll head down the mountain," Leng Ruoli said with a gentle smile.
Afterward, Leng Ruoli walked into the tent she had set up the previous night and vanished into her spatial realm.
Today, she made double-skin milk with red beans for everyone, along with pastries and braised chicken feet.
After preparing everyone's breakfast, she thought for a moment and then made a braised fish for the two beasts, and heated up a roasted chicken before bringing the breakfast out of the spatial realm.
When Leng Ruoli brought out the breakfast, the men and the two beasts were already sitting in a circle on mats, waiting for her to serve the meal.
Under the shining eyes of the food-loving group, Leng Ruoli distributed the breakfast to everyone. She also served the beasts their breakfast, and everyone eagerly began to eat.
---
In the First Prince's Estate of Beichen Kingdom.
In a concubine's room, there was a handsome man with a full head of braided hair. He was extremely tall and slender, dressed in a dark purple brocade robe with a bat pattern, a fluffy tiger-skin outer coat, and a rhinoceros horn belt. He was lying on his side on a couch, embracing a woman, while several maids massaged him, fed him, and kneaded his legs... This man was Murong Qiansong, the First Prince of Beichen Kingdom.
"Your Highness, two people are seeking an audience outside the manor."
A guard entered the room and reported respectfully.
"Who?" Murong Qiansong asked lazily.
"Your subordinate does not recognize them," the guard replied truthfully.
Upon hearing this, Murong Qiansong pondered for a moment, then said, "Let them in."
But before he finished speaking, two teasing, yet slightly aged male voices came from the doorway.
"Your Highness, you are truly living a life of leisure now!"
"Oh, it seems the Pavilion Master of Darknight Pavilion and the Valley Master of Ghost Valley have arrived."
After speaking, the First Prince immediately sat up and waved to the maids.
The maids in the room quickly exited, closing the door behind them.
"May I ask what brings the two of you to seek this prince?" Murong Qiansong asked directly.
"First Prince, how about we assist you in ascending to the throne of Beichen Kingdom?" Darknight Master said with a smile.
"Really? Or fake? What are your conditions?" the First Prince asked casually.
These two old foxes are both wicked and cunning, and they never do anything without a reason. If he didn't have something they wanted, they would never come to him personally.
Because whenever he, Murong Qiansong, went to Darknight Pavilion and Ghost Valley to see them, he had to bring hefty sums of gold, top-grade poisons, or expensive medicinal herbs as gifts, otherwise, they wouldn't pay him any attention.
It was such a coincidence that they both came to him today. He suspected they had ulterior motives.
"If you successfully ascend to the throne, I only want fifty pairs of virgin boys and girls from your Beichen Kingdom sent to my Darknight Pavilion annually," the Darknight Master stated his demand directly.
"Fifty pairs of virgin boys and girls is too many. The entire capital of Beichen Kingdom cannot find fifty pairs of virgin boys and girls now," Murong Qiansong said with a frown.
"Thirty pairs of virgin boys and girls, is that acceptable?" the Darknight Master compromised.
After careful consideration, Murong Qiansong finally agreed to the Darknight Master's request.
If Murong Qiansong successfully ascended the throne, he would have to select thirty pairs of virgin boys and girls from Beichen Kingdom to be sent to Darknight Pavilion each year. As for what the Darknight Master intended to do with these virgin boys and girls, it was not his concern, Murong Qiansong.
"Valley Master of Ghost Valley, what are your conditions?" Murong Qiansong asked, looking at him.
"My conditions are simpler. You just need to find a way to stir up border conflicts between Beichen Kingdom and Tianwu Kingdom during this period," the Valley Master of Ghost Valley said sinisterly.
"Your condition is acceptable. It so happens that this prince also intends to attack Tianwu Kingdom," Murong Qiansong chuckled.
One of them was a master of poison, and the other was a skilled physician. If he had their assistance, the throne of Beichen Kingdom would be within his reach.
Subsequently, the three of them conspired a major plan to force the current ruler of Beichen Kingdom to abdicate in a month.
---
Meanwhile.
The Emperor of Tianwu woke up from his dragon bed one morning. Suddenly, a short sword flew in from outside the window and stuck directly into the armrest of his dragon bed, with a small scroll attached to it. Fortunately, the short sword did not harm him.
The Emperor of Tianwu did not call for guards to capture the assassin because he knew that even if he ordered people to catch the person, they likely wouldn't succeed, and it would only cause unrest throughout the palace. What was the point?
Subsequently, the Emperor of Tianwu took down the small scroll from the short sword and opened the small paper inside to read it.
It read: If you don't want the world to know that you are ruling Tianwu with a fake imperial seal, release the Empress immediately, otherwise, you can imagine the consequences.
After reading the note, the Emperor of Tianwu pondered for a moment, wondering who could be threatening him with this message.
Was this person from the Empress's side? No, if this person were the Empress's minion, the Empress would have known about this matter long ago. When she was imprisoned that day, she would definitely have used this matter to threaten him, the Emperor, to gain her freedom.
Could this person be Leng Jinyu? Sigh, that was even less likely. He and Leng Jinyu had gone through life-and-death situations many times in the past, and he knew Leng Jinyu was loyal to him. Moreover, after Xia Wan'er passed away, his entire heart had gone with Xia Wan'er. If not for his repeated pleas for Leng Jinyu to stay and protect Tianwu Kingdom, Leng Jinyu would have probably resigned and traveled the world. However, currently, only he and Leng Jinyu knew about him ruling the country with a fake imperial seal.
If it wasn't him, then who could it be?
"Someone, go invite General Leng to the palace?" the Emperor of Tianwu said to Eunuch Li outside his sleeping quarters.
"Yes! Your servant obeys!"
Eunuch Li, after receiving the order, immediately instructed someone to go to General Leng's manor to invite Leng Jinyu to the palace.