Chapter 420: Chapter 413: I’m Just Obsessed With Good Looks 55
The Ninth Prince woke up from his deep sleep.
He felt his body extremely heavy, as if he had just been seriously ill.
It was not until he saw Prince Su sitting by his side with a worried face that he felt reassured.
"Big brother."
The Ninth Prince called out with a sense of grievance.
He truly felt wronged.
Originally, he was just standing by the lake feeding the fish today when he was forcefully pushed into the water.
He didn’t remember anything that happened afterwards, but he could guess that it must have been very dangerous.
"It’s alright now."
Prince Su’s broad and warm palm touched the Ninth Prince’s small head: "Don’t be afraid, little brother, it’s alright now."
Although the Ninth Prince was young, he was actually very astute.
He only felt wronged for a moment before he said to Prince Su: "Big brother, I was harmed and fell into the water this time. I suspect that Little Shunzi is a spy planted by someone from another palace."
A fierce light flashed in Prince Su’s eyes: "Big brother knows, I will find out the truth."
After comforting the Ninth Prince, Prince Su went to find Xiao Yuan and his wife.
He expressed his sincere thanks to Anning and asked her: "Where did the alien soul on the Ninth Prince go?"
Anning smiled: "It should have gone not far from the Capital, not sure whose body it has attached to now."
Anning threw a book to Prince Su: "This is a collection of poems; just wait and see. If someone writes the poems from this book, that will be the person possessed by the alien soul. If Your Highness can tolerate him, then take him into your service. If not, you can imprison or directly execute him, but just don’t implicate his family."
Prince Su was not a man who slaughtered indiscriminately, and immediately assured Anning: "I understand. If a family’s loved one is taken by an alien soul, they are already unlucky enough. It would be cruel if I were to involve the innocent family members."
Prince Su did not linger to talk more with Anning, and after asking for clarity, he began to speak with Xiao Yuan.
Anning then took another glance at the Ninth Prince before sitting in the side hall to wait for a while until Xiao Yuan and Prince Su finished talking, and then they went home together.
On the way back, Xiao Yuan did not ask Anning about the Ninth Prince’s matter.
He was just a little worried about Anning, afraid that this series of events might have caused her distress during her pregnancy.
Afterward, seeing Anning still in good condition, Xiao Yuan put his mind at ease.
Back home, Anning said she wanted to rest but lay on the bed pondering the event.
Having seen the Ninth Prince, Anning noticed that he carried the Emperor’s purple aura, which meant he was the true destined Emperor of this world. Anning found it very strange; how could such a person be transmigrated into by another?
She tried hard to communicate with this world and then discovered a loophole in it.
Who knows which powerful being made their move, actually trying to use an alien soul to seize the destined Emperor’s body and then throw this world into chaos in order to absorb the world’s energy.
Anning frowned.
This approach—how similar it is to the Main God’s?
Moreover, the soul fluctuations of the alien soul were incredibly strong.
Even though Anning managed to drive it away, the alien soul could still run off and possess another person.
This made Anning somewhat uneasy.
Originally, she had thought that this world’s events were merely about the exchange of marriage between He Anning and Xu Bao’er, but now she realized that their marriage exchange was only a minor incident in this world.
The main event of this world turned out to be the story of the Ninth Prince being transmigrated by an alien soul, accomplishing great deeds, and finally becoming an eternal Emperor.
Anning almost wanted to laugh.
Even if the Ninth Prince wasn’t transmigrated into, he would still become an eternal Emperor. Was there really a need for a modern person, who knows nothing about the ancient world, to take over someone else’s role?
It was all just for Merit and energy, that’s all.
Anning didn’t like such behavior of the transgressor.
Every world has its own path of development, and the world rules will select their own Heavenly Chosen Son or Heavenly Destiny Girl to perfect the world’s Law.
Even if there are some irregularities or loopholes, the world will heal itself; there is no need for external interference.
Yet some, under the guise of improving the world rules, steal the world’s energy. Truly playing both sides.
Anning reached an agreement with the laws of this small world.
Anning would help oversee the world, avoiding any disruption by nefarious beings to the Ninth Prince, while also keeping watch over the alien soul, and in return, upon her departure, the world would bestow upon her some gifts of gratitude.
Anning didn’t really need those Merit energies anymore.
All these are external objects.
What she needed was enlightenment of the Heavenly Dao Laws.
Once this small world promised to give her some of the Heavenly Dao Laws, Anning started working with great enthusiasm.
By the time Anning gave birth to a pair of dragon and phoenix twins, the alien soul finally began to act.
His first action was to make some foods that this world had never seen to earn money, then he started reading and taking civil examinations, and eventually, he began to plagiarize poetry.
When he plagiarized poetry, Prince Su took action and lured him to the Capital, afterwards using measures to make him serve his purpose.
Anning knew that Prince Su was not a simple character.
Once Prince Su used measures to take that person in, Anning stopped paying attention.
In the years that followed, Xiao Yuan became the teacher of the Ninth Prince, instructing him in his studies.
And Anning also began to pay close attention to the Ninth Prince.
Not until the Second Prince and the Third Prince were both injured in their power struggle and attempted to usurp the throne, causing the deaths of several princes including the Fourth Prince, Fifth Prince, Sixth Prince, and also killing some concubines in the palace.
However, the Ninth Prince was saved and protected by Xiao Yuan who was in the palace at the time. Later, when Prince Su arrived, he protected the Emperor, saving Emperor Yuan Chu.
Having lost several sons all at once, Emperor Yuan Chu suddenly aged a great deal, and his initial ambition and aspirations vanished.
Not long after, Emperor Yuan Chu abdicated, and the Ninth Prince ascended the throne as Emperor.
And because of his actions in protecting the Ninth Prince, Xiao Yuan was placed in an important position.
Initially, the Ninth Prince and Prince Su wanted to keep Xiao Yuan in the Capital, but Xiao Yuan wanted to be dispatched; he wished to govern a territory and truly work for the welfare of the people.
Xiao Yuan had the merit of planting high-yield crops and had a deep bond with the Ninth Prince, who respected him greatly. When he wished to be dispatched, the Ninth Prince, although reluctant, agreed.
In the subsequent decade or more, Xiao Yuan and Anning did not return to the Capital.
They traveled from Jiangnan to the areas outside the border, passing and governing many places.
Xiao Yuan truly lived up to his word of not being a corrupt official. When governing a region, he earnestly sought the welfare of the local people.
He earnestly tackled tasks, and with Anning as a powerful aid by his side, every place they went, he managed extremely well. The locals lived and worked in peace and contentment, and local trade flourished. Although it was not to the extent of not locking doors at night or leaving lost property untouched, he indeed improved the lives of the locals substantially.
Whenever it was time for Xiao Yuan to leave his position, the locals truly did not want him to go. Whenever he departed, the locals would spontaneously organize a send-off, with as many as tens of thousands of people at most. Especially once in Jiangnan, as Xiao Yuan was leaving, even though they reached the ferry, the locals were still reluctant to part and cried intensely, some even fainting from grief.
When Xiao Yuan left the area outside the border, the locals rode horses to escort him, only returning after he had passed through the border.
After nearly twenty years in the outer regions, Xiao Yuan finally entered the Capital with Anning and their children.
Because of his numerous achievements while he was away, upon his return, he immediately became the Grand Secretary Grand Scholar, truly holding the rank of First-rank, with unmatched glory.
He also successfully requested the title of First-rank Imperial Decree for Anning.
At this time, Xu Bao’er was also living particularly well.
After Xie Jue’s mourning period ended, he took Xu Bao’er to the border, guarding it for more than a decade and managing trade with the nomadic tribes, gradually assimilating the alien races. Eventually, the border became stable, and as he grew older, he returned to the Capital with Xu Bao’er.
Xie Jue did not seek the Duke Dingguo’s title, but was granted the title of Duke Zhen for his meritorious service.
In the decades that followed, Anning and Xu Bao’er were the envy of all the noble ladies in the Capital.
Both lived lives of prominence and comfort, having sons and daughters, all of whom were filial, and couples that were loving.
The key point was that both their husbands were capable, but truly cherished their wives to the bone, always thinking about them, and never having any concubines or mistresses to cause upset.
This alone was enough to make the noble ladies envious.
Xie Jue was one matter; Xu Bao’er had a gentle nature, and most household matters were decided by Xie Jue.
But the Xiao Family was different.
Xiao Yuan was too lively, Anning was dominant.
The affairs of the Xiao Family were all decided by Anning; everyone in the Capital, from the Emperor to the carriers, knew that Prime Minister Xiao feared his Lady the most.
Moreover, a joke that had been circulating in the Capital for many years.
It was that whenever Prime Minister Xiao went shopping, he would keep accounts, then the shopkeepers would go to the Xiao residence to settle accounts with Mrs. Xiao, and Prime Minister Xiao never carried more than one tael of silver on him.
While it’s unclear whether this story is true or false, it’s one that people delight in discussing.
The first half of Xiao Yuan’s life was frivolous, but the latter half he truly reined in his nature, genuinely doing many good deeds. When he passed away, the now elderly Ninth Prince grieved deeply, personally visiting the Xiao Family to pay his respects and conferred the posthumous name "Wen Zheng".
Later in history, Xiao Yuan was known as Lord Xiao Wen, which is the highest honor for scholars of all generations.
At the time of Xiao Yuan’s departure, Anning also knew that the Ninth Prince’s days were numbered, and there was no need for her to continue guarding him, so she severed her vitality in order to follow Xiao Yuan.
When she left, the small world indeed honored its promise, and truly gave her some world rules.