Chapter 279 - 176: Mei Zhaozhao Will Voice Her Own Opinion

Chapter 279: Chapter 176: Mei Zhaozhao Will Voice Her Own Opinion

Lu Changyuan remembered a certain technique: linking the fortune of a Mortal Dynasty to a single person to aid in their Cultivation.

If that person were to die, the entire Dynasty would be annihilated in an instant.

Generally, only members of a Royal Family were qualified to practice this technique.

Only someone from the Royal Family could use this technique to cultivate by leveraging their connection to the Dragon Vein. Many years ago, some Mortal Dynasties’ Royal Families used this technique for Cultivation, with the most successful among them even reaching the Sixth Realm Kai Yang.

That was why the Daoist Sect later decreed that royals were forbidden from Cultivation.

If they wished to cultivate, they had to sever their ties with the Mortal World, have their names struck from the royal registry, and personally return their royal blood to the Dynasty’s land. Only then could they walk the path of Cultivation.

It was just like Su Youwan. The Little Ancestor of the Compassionate Palace had already renounced her worldly ties. Although she sometimes went home to visit, she had, in reality, already severed her connection to the Glazed Dynasty’s Dragon Vein.

The luck of that Wang Dayun he had just met was simply too good. But Wang Dayun wasn’t a member of the Imperial Family at all, so he couldn’t be using this technique.

’Perhaps it’s some other method?’

Lu Changyuan couldn’t figure it out, so he decided to go and see for himself.

Seeing things firsthand was always the most direct way.

Immortals, suspended high in the heavens with their feet off the ground, were often unwilling to lower themselves to personally observe the Mortal World.

Lu Changyuan was not that kind of person.

In any case, Wang Dayun had to return to Great Xia. He would just secretly see what kind of trickery was afoot.

If it had nothing to do with the Dynasty’s fortune, then all was well. But if it did...

Su Youwan tossed Mei Zhaozhao onto the table and leaned in. "Young Master Lu, didn’t you say your luck was also very good back when you were cultivating?"

"It was pretty good."

His talent wasn’t anything special, nor was his innate constitution, yet he had somehow managed to cultivate all the way to the Sixth Realm Kai Yang.

And then there was the Yellow Lion Immortal. He had eaten so many people, but Lu Changyuan was the only one who had escaped. How could that not be considered a form of good luck?

Su Youwan said softly, "But Young Master Lu’s good luck is what Young Master Lu deserved."

Lu Changyuan looked back at her. The silver-haired maiden, usually so Supreme and ethereal, actually seemed a little cute at that moment.

’Perhaps it’s because the two of them have gotten too close recently, so my perception of her is idealized.’

~~~~~~~~~~

Great Xia.

The Luoyang Imperial Palace.

"Present your memorials if you have matters to report. If not, the court is dismissed."

Leng Xuanshuang sat on the Dragon Throne, holding her five-year-old brother. A screen stood before the throne, its curtain of white gossamer and beaded strings shielding them from outside view.

It was another court session.

Great Xia was at its zenith, its fortune flourishing. Invincible in battle, they had forced the Great Yue into steady retreat. It looked as though they would soon conquer the enemy’s Imperial City. Naturally, the atmosphere in the imperial court was one of thriving prosperity.

Two years ago, Great Xia had been on the verge of collapse, its borders restless and its treasury empty. But after two years of Leng Xuanshuang’s regency, Great Xia had been transformed. Its army was strong, its horses were robust, and it had even begun to expand its territory.

There were even rumors among the common folk that her very existence was a sign of heaven’s blessing upon Great Xia.

"Your Majesty, another victory report from the front lines! General Shi says that in ten days, he will certainly be able to escort the Great Yue Royal Family to the capital."

The one the officials respectfully addressed as "Your Majesty" was the young boy in Eldest Princess Leng Xuanshuang’s arms—her little brother, the current Emperor, who was still a toddler.

However, the one who answered to "Your Majesty" was Leng Xuanshuang, from behind the hanging screen.

Her voice, calm yet imbued with unquestionable authority, drifted through the gauze curtain. "Understood. Are there any other matters? If not, the court is dismissed."

For a moment, the hall was silent.

Suddenly, an old minister stepped out from the ranks of officials, his voice clear and firm. "Eldest Princess, His Majesty is growing older and has reached the age of understanding. According to ancestral rites, he should..."

He didn’t finish his sentence, but his meaning was perfectly clear.

He was asking the Eldest Princess to return political power to the young ruler.

From behind the curtain, before Leng Xuanshuang could speak, the child in her arms, wrapped in a small, bright yellow dragon robe, turned around. In a voice still tinged with childishness, he spoke, clear and deliberate, "We want Our Elder Sister to continue managing the government on Our behalf. This matter is not to be discussed again."

Leng Xuanshuang lowered her gaze to her little brother, who was looking up at her with a taut little face, his expression practically begging for praise. She raised a hand and gently stroked his hair.

After a brief pause, she spoke to those outside the curtain. "Though His Majesty’s intentions are clear, he is, after all, still young and requires more experience. This matter needs no further discussion."

The old minister’s throat tightened. He gazed at the two figures, one large and one small, behind the curtain, and finally let out a long sigh before retreating to his place.

The recent disturbance seemed to have subsided.

Immediately after, another civil official bowed and stepped forward, holding a Scripture Volume wrapped in Yellow Cloth. He reported, "Your Majesty, Your Highness. A few days ago, a wandering monk presented a Buddhist Scripture, claiming it to be an auspicious omen. I have brought it for your imperial review."

"Oh?" Leng Xuanshuang’s voice betrayed no emotion. "Bring it up."

A Eunuch bowed, took the volume, and scurried with it behind the curtain. The officials lowered their heads and waited in silence, hearing only the soft RUSTLE of pages turning from within.

The silence lasted but a moment.

Suddenly—

SLAP!

The scripture was viciously thrown from behind the curtain, landing on the polished golden bricks of the floor. It tumbled a few times, its binding breaking and pages scattering.

Leng Xuanshuang’s voice, cold and furious, came from behind the curtain:

"Absurd!"

"Court dismissed!"

The officials looked at one another, bewildered as to why Leng Xuanshuang had become so enraged.

After a long moment,

one of them finally picked up the Buddhist Scripture. After a brief look, he read it aloud in an extremely peculiar tone:

"A Female Immortal descended from the nine heavens to the Mortal World, reincarnated into the imperial house. On heaven’s behalf, she nurtures the True Dragon, commands the mountains and rivers, and brings clarity to the world. This is the mandate of heaven, the fortune of all living beings, and the foundation for an eternal dynasty."

The meaning of this Buddhist Scripture was exceedingly clear: it claimed the Eldest Princess was the reincarnation of a saint, sent by heaven to govern Great Xia on behalf of the Emperor of Great Xia.