70. A Girl’s Thoughts
For a long time afterward, the court officials had to endure the wind and sun, holding their meetings amidst a few broken pillars.
Despite proposals to relocate, the officials refused.
Why?
“The older generation is superstitious. With both a dragon and a phoenix appearing, this place is considered a sign of heavenly fortune. Forget moving, they haven’t even bathed in a week.”
“They haven’t bathed?” Hearing Shangguan Lingyue’s words, Gong Yiling felt a chill. “A whole week? That’s disgusting.”
“If their families hadn’t protested, they probably wouldn’t have bathed for a year.” Shangguan Lingyue shrugged helplessly. “That was the day the true dragon appeared. They’re lucky they didn’t gouge out their eyeballs and stick them on the pillars as a memorial.”
“Is that even a thing?”
Gong Yiling had underestimated these old men’s obsession with dragons.
The Heartflame Empire’s ancestors had encountered dragons, and dragons were even featured on their national flag and royal crests.
But the dragons had long since gone into seclusion, and the Shangguan family had neglected the rituals. Furthermore, Shangguan Long had concealed the secret of the dragon vein.
So, for most people, dragons were just legends they heard in stories.
If a real dragon appeared before them, they would undoubtedly consider it a most auspicious omen, not some “I am the embodiment of power” nonsense.
“So, does Immortal Master know why that dragon suddenly appeared?”
“That’s the seventy-ninth time you’ve asked me that question.”
Gong Yiling sighed. “If I had done it, why wouldn’t I have brought the dragon out from the beginning? Why wait until Shangguan Long conveniently escaped his cage?”
Shangguan Lingyue frowned and considered. “So that’s your cunning plan. Isn’t there a strategy called ‘feigning weakness before striking’? It makes the final blow more impressive.”
…Honestly, she had wanted to design such a plan, but she had no control over the dragon, especially a nearly mindless one.
But she had a guess about the dragon’s intervention. It was Lu Xinyao’s biological father, the demonic spirit.
After all, he was the only one she knew who could communicate with the dragon.
However, when she later returned to the Heart of Blazing Flame, she couldn’t find him, and the number cards he left behind no longer held any trace of life.
Perhaps this secret would forever remain with the vanished and the still-mindless dragon.
“Speaking of which,”
While waiting for her disciple to finish her discussions with the officials, Gong Yiling asked,
“What about the dragon vein? How was that resolved?”
Although Shangguan Long was almost killed, the price was being permanently sealed in the depths of the Heart of Blazing Flame, forever a neighbor to his beloved dragon vein.
But the problem of replenishing the dragon vein’s luck remained.
“Thanks to my dear brother,” Shangguan Lingyue shrugged. “After absorbing his luck, the dragon vein is stable for at least fifty years.”
“And in those fifty years, that blacksmith should have become a master.”
“So that guy was originally wealthy?” Gong Yiling raised an eyebrow.
Well, the realistic principle of “evil people have good luck” had a strange use here.
Shangguan Lingyue was about to say something more, but Gong Yiling saw the officials emerging from the room.
Miss Gong quickly excused herself and entered Lu Xinyao’s study.
“Is there anything else?”
Sensing someone’s presence and the closing door, Lu Xinyao asked without looking up.
But she received no reply. Puzzled, she looked up. “Is… eh!?”
It was Gong Yiling, her veil removed, a faint smile on her beautiful face.
“Big Sister!?”
Lu Xinyao’s fox ears twitched, and she quickly put down her pen, standing up and smoothing her dress.
“What… what are you doing here?”
Although she asked this, a blush had crept onto her cheeks, and a smile played on her lips, her eyes filled with unconcealed joy.
She looked like a girl in love.
“You’re a busy person now.” Gong Yiling walked to her side, smiling and rubbing her head. “I have to queue to see you. I’ve been chatting with General Lingyue for over half an hour.”
Lu Xinyao immediately frowned. “Didn’t I tell them that no one is to stop Big Sister?”
“I waited outside myself,” Gong Yiling shook her head. “You’re the Empress now. After the regency period ends in two years, the entire Heartflame Empire will be on your shoulders.”
“But Xinyao, this is truly what you want, right? Not just because of my arrangements?”
Lu Xinyao pouted and nodded firmly. “I want to be the Empress myself.”
“Why?” Miss Gong pulled her to the guest seat, resting her chin on her hand. “I haven’t asked for your reason yet. Is it just because you’re a royal?”
Lu Xinyao glanced at her hand, held by Gong Yiling.
She feigned difficulty expressing herself, then said softly, “Actually… there are two reasons.”
“Two reasons?”
“One is, as Big Sister said, although I’m not Shangguan Long’s daughter, I was raised as a royal, so I naturally have a sense of duty to the country.”
“As for the other reason…”
Lu Xinyao trailed off, fidgeting with her leg. “The other reason…”
She seemed hesitant to speak.
“What is it?” Gong Yiling asked.
“No, nothing.”
Lu Xinyao finally suppressed her words and smiled, shaking her head. “The other reason… isn’t really a reason…”
—Actually, after seeing Big Sister’s true face, Lu Xinyao connected it with a wanted poster she had seen long ago.
—This Big Sister, who had never revealed her name, was actually the Young Palace Master of the Pear Blossom Blood Orchid Palace.
Although Big Sister hadn’t deliberately hidden this, she hadn’t told her either.
So, at least…
She wanted to give Big Sister, in her own way…
A safe harbor.
“But that’s a secret.”
