Of course it's because my backup, Princess Yongxing, is about to die, the Empress thought.
She had never expected her backup to be so poor at staying alive, much less that the Nine Heavens Descendants five hundred years later would be so ill-mannered.
Emperor Yongchang's movements and voice woke Nie Hongxiu. She opened her eyes groggily and asked, "Brother Chang, who's your teacher?"
Thump!
With a clean, decisive knife-hand strike, Emperor Yongchang knocked Nie Hongxiu unconscious.
When he had serious business to attend to, he would not let beauty distract him.
Seeing Emperor Yongchang raise his hand and strike, the Empress's eyelid twitched slightly. This disciple seemed affectionate, but deep down, he was utterly heartless.
Or rather, he always drew very clear distinctions when it came to genuine affection. A woman like Nie Hongxiu could never disturb his mind.
Could I?
The Empress was not sure, but she had no better choice.
The Heirloom Seal of the Realm beside Emperor Yongchang's bed suddenly glimmered.
Within that faint light, a figure flickered in and out of view. It was the Empress.
Previously, the Empress had not lived inside the Heirloom Seal of the Realm. After all, Emperor Yongchang had not possessed it before ascending the throne.
Only after Emperor Yongchang's accession had the Empress made her home inside the Heirloom Seal of the Realm, using the dynastic fortune accumulated within it to heal her injuries. Of course she had been injured-the "Qi Deviation" five hundred years ago had been real.
Surviving alone had exhausted all her luck. Even after five hundred years, she was still on the road back to her peak.
Otherwise, she would never have thought of making her move through Princess Yongxing or Emperor Yongchang.
Still, she had not gone without growth over those five hundred years.
Failure