Outside the city walls, two armies clashed, blades flashing, the slaughter immense, bodies littering the ground, blood flowing like rivers.
Nan Rong Qi, surrounded by Du Chun and others, was in a state of heightened combat, feeling no pain. Even when Gu Ye Feng pierced his chest, he felt nothing. Du Chun and his men eventually annihilated Nan Rong Qi and his subordinates.
Consort Rong, originally named Mo Yin Yang, stood before the man in black robes, watching the annihilated Nan Rong Qi. Her eyes were icy. "Your Majesty the Evil Emperor, Nan Rong Qi is dead. Mei Chang Qing is trapped by the Lotus Emperor's barrier. Shall we now move to rescue Mei Chang Qing?" Mei Chang Qing had followed His Majesty the Evil Emperor for several years alongside her. She and Mei Chang Qing were considered fellow disciples.
"A useless person, why would I save him? Since Emperor Nan Rong Qi of Dong Sheng Kingdom is dead, even if Dong Sheng Kingdom changes hands, what does it matter to us? A bunch of mortals, dead is dead. However, I have not come to the mortal realm empty-handed. The Lotus Emperor cherishes that woman so much, then this upcoming grand drama will be even more interesting."
The Evil Emperor, King of Demons, elder brother of the Evil King, the Evil Emperor. He raised a finger to touch the centipede-like scar on his cheek, his voice clear and devoid of warmth. "Where is that brat, the Evil King?"
"Replying to Your Majesty the Evil Emperor, the Evil King has also entered the mortal realm. A few days ago, I saw him in the palace. He seems to know this woman, Gu Qian Ying, and they are very familiar with each other."
"Insolent!" The Evil Emperor was furious, his voice growing colder. "That brat was bewitched by this woman back then, and now he's still bewitched." With that, he turned and commanded, "Find an opportunity, go and inform this woman, Gu Qian Ying, of her true identity. It's best to let her see her true self, make her anxious, make her uneasy, and thus control her. Besides this, think of another way to control this woman's mind and make that brat, the Evil King, give up."
"Yes, Your Majesty the Evil Emperor, I will attend to it immediately."
An evil wind blew. The Evil Emperor and his subordinate Mo Yin Yang, standing on the palace walls, both vanished.
At the same moment, the palace gates were flung open. Gu Ye Feng and others, leading their armies, arrived at the imperial palace. The palace maids, eunuchs, and concubines who remained in the palace were unharmed. All were treated equally. Those who wished to stay could stay, and those who wished to leave the palace could leave. They had freedom of movement. Nan Rong Qi's former subordinates who were unwilling were annihilated, while those who surrendered their weapons were treated kindly.
The next day.
The new Emperor of Dong Sheng Kingdom ascended the throne. In the palace, in the grand hall, during the enthronement ceremony. The former Empress Meng, holding the infant she had recently given birth to, walked step by step towards the dragon throne, clad in the Empress Dowager's phoenix robe. The new Emperor was the child in her arms, Murong Si. She was the Empress Dowager, Meng Shi. As the new Emperor was an infant and not yet an adult, the Fourth Prince Murong Cong was appointed Regent and could oversee the state affairs. The Fourth Prince Murong Cong had traveled extensively for many years and had entered the Sacred Gate at a young age. He had been a vegetarian and a Buddhist for many years. His return to the mortal world this time was to repay the life-saving kindness shown to him in his childhood by the eldest daughter of the Meng family. Empress Dowager Meng, fearing that her maternal family, the Meng clan, would try to exploit her position in the palace for personal gain due to her son becoming the new Emperor, severed ties with the Meng clan on the day of her son's enthronement. She led by example, aiming to distinguish loyal officials from treacherous ones. The upright and incorruptible elders of the court were persuaded by her to remain in the palace and continue to serve her son. Thus, through benevolence and virtue, she established the imperial examination system to recruit loyal officials for the court. For several days, she consulted with Regent Murong Cong on how to best serve the impoverished people of the realm. A few days later, the educational requirements for private tutors were lowered through the imperial examination. The court no longer exclusively allowed legitimate sons to attend school; illegitimate sons and daughters could also enter the academy. In addition, a new generation of vocational schools emerged. These schools were open to women, regardless of their noble or humble status, allowing them to enroll and learn the crafts they desired. They could learn needlework, embroidery, music, calligraphy, and basic medicine. The tuition fees for these institutions were affordable for ordinary families. In the current dynasty, women were not supposed to be seen in public; they were expected to stay at home and raise their children. Unmarried women were to remain within the confines of their homes. From this point on, this phenomenon greatly diminished. The country enjoyed peace and prosperity, and the people lived in contentment.
Several days later.
At the Ninth Prince's mansion. Since the Ninth Prince Nangong Mo returned to the mansion, everyone within the Ninth Prince's mansion had been drinking, composing poetry, and celebrating daily, enjoying themselves immensely. Today was no different. In the courtyard, beside the moon pavilion, tables and chairs were set, with fine wine and delicacies, making for a lavish spread. Gu Qian Ying, dressed in a red robe, with a simple hairstyle and no makeup, her beautiful eyes were even more captivating. She sat around the table, unlike the dignified posture of ordinary noble daughters. Instead, her posture was relaxed, holding a jar of wine, appearing quite at ease. Beside her, sitting close, was Nangong Mo. He wore a snow-white robe, seated against the wind, his appearance exquisitely beautiful, his demeanor ethereal. A gentle breeze blew, his robes fluttering like the wind, instantly capturing everyone's attention. He was originally the Lotus Emperor, an immortal, exuding a faint immortal aura that made him impossible to ignore. Beside him, Nangong Li, in a luxurious brocade robe, was incredibly handsome, with a perpetual roguish smile. He was especially amused when he nudged the Princess of Nanman, Luo Laya Ta, who was sitting next to him, with his folding fan, his smile growing even more pronounced. On the other side, Gu Ye Feng wore a purple brocade robe with gold trim, his hair tied up high, the faint scar on his face still present, but it did not detract from his beauty. He held a wine cup, which was filled by Nangong Xuan Ning, who sat beside him. Nangong Xuan Ning had specifically chosen a bright dress that complemented her extremely fair skin and had applied beautiful makeup before arriving. Du Chun, clad in a moon-white robe, his hair tied up, was as aloof and solitary as usual. He had already finished the wine in his cup, having drunk several cups shortly after sitting down. Beside him, Ouyang Qing Lin, dressed in a large python-red robe. His phoenix eyes were slightly raised, his face more beautiful than any woman's, possessing a feminine and charmingly evil aura. Although he, like Gu Qian Ying, held a jar of wine, the jar in his embrace was already less than a third full. The bitterness at the corner of his lips blended with the wine, his pain unnoticed by anyone.
"Drink less, you'll get drunk." Nangong Mo snatched the jar of wine from Gu Qian Ying's embrace. He then draped the white cloak handed to him by Bai Qi over Gu Qian Ying. "The wind is strong, be careful not to catch a chill, be mindful." Unbeknownst to himself, his usual reticence had turned into him being quite talkative around Gu Qian Ying.
"It's fine, I'm happy." Gu Qian Ying did not want to give him the wine, so she snatched the jar back from his hand. Nangong Mo would not be deterred, but he couldn't do anything about her. He could only drink a few sips himself before handing the remaining wine jar back to Gu Qian Ying. Their back-and-forth interaction, in the eyes of others, looked like a display of affection. Nangong Li and the others were happy, but Du Chun and Ouyang Qing Lin continued to drink. Just as Nangong Mo was wiping Gu Qian Ying's lips with a handkerchief, Ouyang Qing Lin finally could not stand it any longer. He picked up his chopsticks, placed a piece of food on Gu Qian Ying's plate, and said to her, looking at her, "Try this, this dish tastes very good." Displeased by Ouyang Qing Lin deliberately giving Gu Qian Ying food, Nangong Mo's expression turned sour. He called Bai Qi over and had Bai Qi remove the dishes that Ouyang Qing Lin had served to Gu Qian Ying. He declared that Gu Qian Ying did not want the food that Ouyang Qing Lin had placed on her plate. After this dish was removed, new dishes would be served and placed before Gu Qian Ying for her to eat.