The Imperial City of Dasheng, Qingxin Hall.
The hall remained warm and inviting, yet an indescribable sense of oppression permeated the air.
The Third Princess Li Yingluo, sat at her desk, with a book of exquisite martial arts techniques spread out in front of her, yet she seemed somewhat restless.
Her slender fingers unconsciously crumpled the corners of the book pages, and the smugness of yesterday was gone from her face, replaced by deep anxiety and a hint of barely perceptible unease.
It was all because of that crucial decree—
Ye Li's governorship was revoked, and he was suspended from his duties.
Although the two advisors spoke eloquently, after calming down, she was still somewhat worried about the success rate of the matter.
If Ye Li is unwilling to hand over the gold medal, how can she explain this to the eight mystical sects?
How can I explain this to my Father Emperor, who is currently paying close attention to me?
Everything is uncertain.
The Maid Baiyue stood to one side, her delicate face furrowed with worry.
Seeing her prince's restless expression, she hesitated for a long time before finally speaking, her voice extremely low:
"Your Highness, this servant... this servant still feels that this action was too rash."
Li Yingluo suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with annoyance. "Reckless? How was I reckless? I already told you, I'm cleaning up his mess!"
Baiyue took a deep breath, looked directly at Li Yingluo, and spoke slowly, yet with a barely perceptible hint of pleading:
"Your Highness, you should know what kind of person General Ye is."
"Starting with the uprising in Longtan Grand Commandery, he beheaded the Buddhist Disciple, destroyed the Sword Sect, and now he has gone south alone, massacring most of the Xuanmen forces in the Southern Territory! He has even slain a Supreme Being, his ferocity is awe-inspiring!"
"His prestige in the Southern Territory is already at its zenith, shaking the court and the public! This is why the Xuanmen sect is so apprehensive. Your Highness's decision to reclaim his power at this time is tantamount to..."
"Enough!" Li Yingluo abruptly interrupted her, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Her voice suddenly rose, filled with a frustrated and embarrassed tone, and she spoke rapidly:
"I ask you, isn't it a fact that he acted recklessly?!"
"Before setting off for the Southern Territory, who could have imagined he would be so fierce and ruthless?!"
"Now that the Eight Gates are enraged, they have joined forces to exert pressure, their spearhead aimed directly at me!"
"Father Emperor entrusted this matter to me for a decision; this is clearly a test for me! If I don't do it, am I supposed to stand against eight Xuanmen for his sake alone?!"
She became more and more agitated as she spoke, as if trying to convince herself. Gritting her teeth, her voice trembled slightly. "I'm cleaning up his mess! He should be thanking me!"
"Moreover, I am merely suspending his duties to let him lay low for a while!"
"Once the anger of the Xuanmen subsides, I will return the gold medal to him. It is his merit, and I will not shortchange him in any way!"
"You are merely a lowly Maid; how could you possibly understand my good intentions!"
Looking at Li Yingluo's face, slightly flushed with excitement, and the forced sense of "naturalness" in her eyes, Baiyue felt as if a huge rock had been pressed down on his heart.
She knew her prince all too well.
At this moment, Li Yingluo is less stating her reasons and more concealing her extreme unease and panic.
Baiyue pursed her lips tightly and ultimately remained silent.
She knew that the Third Princess of the Great Sheng Dynasty was not going to listen to any dissenting opinions at this moment, and any opposition would only make her more angry and stubborn.
An awkward silence fell over the hall, broken only by Li Yingluo's slightly rapid breathing.
Just then, a respectful report came from outside the hall:
"Your Highness, an urgent Communication Transmission has arrived from the Southern Territory!"
Li Yingluo's spirits lifted, as if she had grasped a lifeline, and she immediately said, "Quick! Bring it here!"
A palace attendant hurried in and respectfully presented a Jade Slip that was shimmering with a faint spiritual light.
Li Yingluo practically snatched it away, her Divine Consciousness eagerly probing into it.
The information in the Jade Slip is simple and clear:
The imperial edict has been delivered to the headquarters of the Nine Luminaries Division in the Fenglin Continent of the Southern Territory. Lord Ye... has handed over the governor's gold medal as ordered.
"He paid it! He really paid it!"
Li Yingluo suddenly stood up, her face instantly clearing of the gloom, replaced by a huge joy of relief, even with a twisted sense of pride.
She turned to Baiyue, her voice filled with excitement. "See? Baiyue! Even he knows that I'm doing this for his own good!"
"He offered no resistance and obediently returned the gold medal! What does this mean? It means he himself understands that he went too far this time and needs to restrain himself! It means my decision was correct!"
She waved the Jade Slip in her hand triumphantly, as if it were proof of wisdom and authority.
"..."
Seeing Li Yingluo's ecstatic expression, Baiyue Yue's unease did not dissipate; instead, it spread rapidly like a cold tide, chilling her to the bone.
In that instant, despite only possessing the cultivation of the Great Void Realm, she seemed to be able to pierce through the vast territory and see once again the young general in his official Official Robe, with his cold and stern demeanor.
General Ye...
You are the one who has stirred up bloodshed in the Southern Territory, and whom even the Supreme Being regards as mere weeds.
How could they return the gold medal, a symbol of power and trust, so calmly and without any objection?
This is far too unusual!
It's so abnormal it's unsettling!
"Your Highness..." Baiyue's voice was tinged with barely concealed dryness, "General Ye returned the gold medal, perhaps... perhaps he was merely following orders."
"This servant is worried that General Ye may harbor resentment after this incident."
"If he becomes disloyal because of this, or even... leaves Your Highness's camp, then..."
"Break away?" The joy on Li Yingluo's face froze, then was replaced by a strange sense of irritation.
She waved her hand impatiently, interrupting Baiyue's worries. "What do you know! If he really had ulterior motives, he should be disobeying orders in the Southern Territory right now! Instead of obediently handing over the gold medal!"
"The fact that he is following orders now shows that he still understands the bigger picture and knows when to advance and retreat!"
"Besides, I only asked him to lay low for a while, not to steal his credit! What is there for him to hold a grudge about? Once this storm has passed, I will find an opportunity to make it up to him!"
She was completely immersed in the joy of her "clever methods" working and in her wonderful vision for the future.
They were simply unwilling, or rather, dared not, to think about the worst-case scenario that Baiyue feared.
In her view, Ye Li's compliance was the greatest affirmation of her decision.
"Alright, there's no need to discuss this further!" Li Yingluo decisively ended the conversation, coldly addressing Baiyue in a commanding tone:
"Now that Ye Li has obeyed the order, things should calm down on the Xuanmen side for the time being."
"You shall immediately write a memorial detailing the outcome of this matter, explaining in detail how Ye Li's cruel actions provoked dissatisfaction within the Xuanmen (Immortal Sect). To safeguard the overall situation and weigh the pros and cons, I have temporarily revoked his governor's badge and suspended him from his duties in order to appease the Xuanmen and maintain the relationship between the Imperial Court and the Immortal Sect."
"The memorials must be delivered quickly, and placed before Father Emperor's desk within the next two days!"
Baiyue looked at the arrogance in Li Yingluo's eyes, her mood sank further.
She opened her mouth, but ultimately swallowed all her words of advice.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Baiyue lowered her eyes, concealing the deep worry within them, and responded softly.
She turned and walked to her desk, beginning to write the memorial that she believed might push her prince into the abyss.
Qingxin Hall, the incense still burned.
The chill in Baiyue's heart grew stronger, making her feel as if she had fallen into an ice cave.
"Call..."
Li Yingluo left the cluttered desk, sat back on the soft couch, and let out a long sigh of relief.
A smug smile then appeared on his lips.
She could almost see the approving look in her Father Emperor after he read the memorial.
Seeing that the Xuanmen's anger subsided because of her "concession," she was overjoyed.
Not long after, when the storm subsided and she returned the gold medal to Ye Li, she saw the gratitude and awe on the face of the composed young man.
Everything was proceeding according to her "perfect" plan!