Helping them along

Master Jinlian rode on auspicious clouds, leading Xu Qi'an and the others towards the capital.

Xu Qi'an held the soundly sleeping Li Miaozhen in his arms, turning his head to look at his dao companion:

"The battle between the Celestial Person and the human realm is a perilous struggle for the Imperial Preceptor, but also an excellent opportunity for him to hone his skills. Please allow me to observe the battle."

He knew Luo Yuheng's personality very well: strong, arrogant, and with a bit of a queen complex. She liked being "coaxed" by him, so even now, Xu Qi'an hadn't changed his way of addressing her and still called her Grand Tutor.

Therefore, one should not show too much care for her, as this would make Luo Yuheng feel slighted and unhappy.

Luo Yuheng hummed in agreement.

"What is the Celestial Venerable's cultivation level?"

Xu Qi'an thought for a moment and said:

"It's around the mid-stage of the first rank, definitely not the late stage."

The reason he dared to boast that he would only protect Luo Yuheng's life and not care about anything else was not because he didn't care about Luo Yuheng's life or death, but because they had reached the first-grade realm and were both terrestrial immortals, so they were basically evenly matched.

Others can just watch.

Moreover, the struggle between Celestial Person and man is also beneficial to Luo Yuheng. The mutual complementation of their origins is one aspect, while honing their cultivation is another.

Of course, during this time, I also have to serve the Imperial Advisor with utmost devotion. Xu Qi'an looked at the aloof beauty so close to him and added in his mind.

Next, the most important thing is the marriage with Lin'an!

Thinking of this, Xu Qi'an couldn't help but pinch the bridge of his nose.

The Imperial Palace.

Huaiqing had just finished a game of chess with Wei Yuan, suffering a series of defeats. Fortunately, she was used to it; she had been learning chess from Wei Yuan for many years and had never beaten him by even a single point.

What is Duke Wei's opinion on Xu Yinluo's marriage?

During the tea tasting after the game of chess, Huaiqing tentatively asked.

"Great news!"

Wei Yuan's smile was gentle.

"What's so good about it?"

Huaiqing asked casually.

Wei Yuan, still smiling, held his teacup and said:

"His Highness Lin'an is simple-minded. Although he likes to stir up trouble, he is not good at fighting. Such a woman would be better as Xu Ningyan's first wife than Mu Nanzhi or Luo Yuheng, or any other woman."

Huaiqing felt a pang of guilt, but remained outwardly calm, and asked in return:

"Other women?"

Wei Yuan glanced at her, his smile growing even deeper:

"For other women, it's always better for a woman who poses little threat to rise to power than for others."

"Alright, I'm too lazy to talk about his romantic escapades."

Wei Yuan himself was a man of deep affection, believing in the principle of one love for life. However, he did not necessarily despise young and romantic women like Xu Ningyan, as powerful men in the world often had multiple wives and concubines.

Just mind your own business.

After a few casual words, the topic inevitably turned to government affairs.

"The policy of establishing schools in the Southern Frontier border cities must be continued. In a few years, once the foundation is laid, the children's examinations in Yuzhou can be opened to Gu clan students. This matter will benefit future generations, and Your Majesty must keep a close eye on it."

Wei Yuan reminded him.

"This matter should be handled by Duke Wei."

Huaiqing pushed the task back again. Now that she was the ruler of a country, she knew how to use people!

Wei Yuan smiled and continued:

"The northern barbarians owe us mines, money, grain, cattle, sheep, and other livestock. We can collect them back this winter. We didn't dare to collect the debt before because of the unfavorable situation in the Central Plains, but now we can get it back with interest."

Huaiqing listened quietly until Wei Yuan finished his long speech, then she sighed:

"Even now, I still cannot find fault with Duke Wei. In terms of handling state affairs, Duke Wei is far superior to me. I will entrust all that Duke Wei just mentioned to you."

Wei Yuan smiled and nodded:

"Good!"

He wanted a stage where he could realize his ambitions, but Yuan Jing didn't give him one; Huai Qing did.

Wei Yuan continued:

"I've recently heard some rumors that some people in the court hope Your Majesty will establish a crown prince as soon as possible."

Huaiqing's face darkened, and his tone turned cold:

"As soon as the rebels were wiped out, some people started thinking about 'restoring order to the court.'"

Huaiqing is not yet married—no, he hasn't even taken a concubine or established an empress—so where would he get any children?

The so-called establishment of a crown prince would naturally refer to either Yongxing's son or the fourth prince's son.

With Xu Qi'an holding down the reins of the Great Feng dynasty and controlling the court, no one dared to openly oppose Huaiqing. But what about after Huaiqing? Shouldn't the throne be returned to the rightful heir?

"A country cannot be without a ruler for a day, nor can it be without a crown prince. The establishment of a crown prince is a matter of national importance, and there is nothing wrong with that. But would Your Majesty be willing to return the throne to Yongxing, or establish the heir of Prince Yan as the crown prince?" Wei Yuan stared intently at her.

Huaiqing said calmly:

"I am in the prime of my life, there is no rush to establish an heir."

Wei Yuan sighed, as if he understood something, and said:

"Understood. In that case, Your Majesty should produce an heir as soon as possible to silence the gossip."

After saying that, he tentatively asked:

"Hmm, is there someone you like?"

Huaiqing subconsciously straightened his back, exuding a dignified and elegant air, and said calmly:

"I haven't found someone I like yet."

Feeling guilty, Wei Yuan slowly nodded and said in a serious tone:

"I will not comment on matters of marriage; Your Majesty should keep it in mind."

As he spoke, he put down his teacup:

"We've had enough tea, I'll take my leave now."

After seeing Wei Yuan off, Huaiqing took out a fragment of the Earth Book and sent a message:

[1: What about numbers 2 and 7?]

[Seven: Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I have returned to the Bureau of Astronomy and am currently having tea with Brother Yang at the Star-Gazing Tower.]

Li Lingsu replied with great enthusiasm, since Tianzong couldn't return for a while and the Holy Son planned to seek an official position in the court and live a boring life with a large harem of wives and concubines.

[1: Where is Li Miaozhen?]

[Three: Her Primordial Spirit was injured, and she is still unconscious, but the problem is not serious. This punishment, which seems to be meant to kill her, is actually to fulfill her wish.]

Xu Qi'an's words startled everyone. Chu Yuanzhen, who had not been involved in the matter and did not understand the meaning behind Xu Qi'an's words, sent a message asking:

[4: What does this mean?]

[Three: Li Miaozhen seemed to have taken some kind of pill to enhance her Primordial Spirit not long ago. The medicinal power was stagnant in her body and difficult to refine. Bingyi Yuanjun's two thunder whips just happened to dissolve her medicinal power. Although it was a bit risky, the effect was good.]

[Why would the Celestial Venerable, so determined to kill her, allow the Ice Maiden to whip her with lightning? Therefore, I suspect he was granting her wish.]

Huaiqing felt that what he said made sense, but also that it was unreasonable, so he sent a letter saying:

[Part 1: So the Celestial Venerable didn't actually intend to kill Li Miaozhen? Then what was the purpose of all that trouble he went through?]

[Three: I don't know, but I noticed a detail before: Miao Zhen's fragment of the Earth Book was in Bingyi Yuanjun's hands. Holy Son, why were you able to use the Earth Book to ask us for help?]

Li Lingsu, who had cleverly and bravely stolen it, had a sudden thought:

[Seven: I saw Master hide the fragments of the Earth Book in a wooden box in the room.]

With the wisdom of the members of the Heaven and Earth Society, no further explanation is needed.

This is deliberately designed to get the Holy Son to ask for help.

[Eight: If the Celestial Venerable didn't want to kill Li Miaozhen, he could have simply released her; there was no need for such a complicated process, unless he had other motives.]

[Four: Perhaps because Li Miaozhen had contradicted him and he couldn't back down, he outwardly executed her to maintain the Heavenly Sect's reputation, while secretly having Bingyi Yuanjun use the Thunder Whip punishment to fulfill her wish, and even asking the Holy Son to ask us for help?]

Chu Yuanzhen analyzed.

Li Lingsu interjected. "[The Thunder Whip punishment was not the Heavenly Venerable's intention, but rather proposed by Uncle-Master Bingyi. I understand now; the Heavenly Venerable granted it not to Miaozhen, but to Uncle-Master Bingyi."

No one, including Xu Qi'an, understood what he was saying.

What does this have to do with Ice Queen Yuanjun?

Li Lingsu explained:

[Miaozhen was Bingyi's mortal heart. Now that the master and disciple have severed all ties, Bingyi has no more attachments and can advance to the second rank. She is already at the peak of the third rank, and the elixir that saved Miaozhen was precisely what she prepared for her breakthrough to the second rank.]

Master Jinlian sent a message saying:

[Bingyi Yuanjun wanted to advance to the second rank, but couldn't bear to sever her feelings for Miaozhen, so she hesitated to break through. Miaozhen spent three years in the martial world, gaining self-awareness; her temperament was not suitable for the Supreme Forgetfulness of the Heavenly Sect. The Heavenly Venerable seized this opportunity to grant them their wish.]

After listening to Master Jinlian's explanation, the members of the Heaven and Earth Society finally understood.

[Third: I think there's another reason. Li Miaozhen was indeed tainted by too much karma. When the great calamity came, she was a ticking time bomb, so the Celestial Venerable simply expelled her from the Celestial Sect.]

Why won't that Heavenly Venerable grant my wish? Also, what does "time bomb" mean? Li Lingsu wondered to herself.

At this moment, Master Hengyuan sent a letter:

[So, Fellow Daoist Li Miaozhen has no hope of reaching the third rank?]

Since she cannot transcend emotions, she naturally cannot cultivate the later stages of the Heavenly Sect's cultivation methods.

Master Hengyuan, a former martial monk, has experienced the helplessness of having no hope of advancement and is quite sensitive to this.

Yes, Li Miaozhen is the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect, possessing extraordinary talent. After she leaves the Heavenly Sect, wouldn't her chances of reaching the third rank be slim? The hearts of the members of the Heaven and Earth Society sank.

This is not a good thing!

Master Jinlian sent a message saying:

[No problem, no problem. Just join my sect. With the merits you've accumulated, advancing to the third rank will be a piece of cake.]

[Three: Li Miaozhen is from the Heavenly Sect, so can she switch to cultivating the Earthly Sect's mental techniques?]

Xu Qi'an voiced the question that had been puzzling everyone.

[Nine: Of course, the three sects of Heaven, Earth, and Man all come from the same Daoist School and have the same cultivation system. Before stepping into the extraordinary realm, there is actually no distinction between "Heaven, Earth, and Man". The cultivation method of the Human Sect will only cause the karmic fire to burn the body when reaching the third grade. The Heaven Sect can only advance to the extraordinary realm after comprehending the Supreme Forgetfulness. The Earth Sect will also have to reach the third grade before there is a danger of karmic backlash.]

[As long as Li Miaozhen hasn't reached the Transcendent Realm, she can switch allegiance to either the Human or Earth Sect. I believe that, given Miaozhen's temperament, it's clearly better for her to join my Earth Sect. Once she wakes up, I'll discuss this with her. Please don't tell Luo Yuheng about this.]

The members of the Heaven and Earth Society had been waiting for this day for a long time, and they thought it was highly likely to be true.

With Jinlian's discerning eye, she could certainly see that Li Miaozhen was a promising talent for cultivating merit. They simply couldn't believe that Daoist Jinlian wasn't interested in Li Miaozhen.

Xu Qi'an thought that Daoist Jinlian was too insidious, and with a critical and condemnatory attitude, he wrote on the surface of the jade mirror:

[The Earth Sect's mental cultivation method is too dangerous. I think Li Miaozhen should join the Human Sect.]

I was only halfway through writing when the message from the Son of God arrived:

[Of course, it would be best for Miaozhen to switch to the Earth Sect. Why go to the Human Sect? She'd be consumed by karmic fire and then just wait to be slept with by Xu Ningyan? As her senior brother, I strongly disagree!]

[One: Hmm, I also think Number Two is more suitable for the Earth Sect's cultivation method.]

[Part 4: The tragedy of the Imperial Preceptor must not be repeated in Miaozhen's life.]

[Six: Fellow Daoist Li Miaozhen is indeed suited to the Earth Sect's mental cultivation method.]

[Eight: In the near future, the Heaven and Earth Society will give birth to a new extraordinary being.]

Since things had come to this point, Xu Qi'an could only silently erase what he had written.

Li Lingsu, you wash your bottom and wait.

Master Jinlian looked at the messages being passed around and smiled with satisfaction.

[5: Does that mean we can repeat the tragedy of Master Jinlian?]

The smile on Master Jinlian's face slowly disappeared.

Everyone pretended not to see Lina's message and continued chatting.

[One: In ten days, it will be the day Xu Ningyan Lin'an. All of you are welcome to come to the capital for a celebratory drink.]

[8: Isn't Number Three Luo Yuheng's dao companion? Would she let you marry another woman?]

Asuro expressed surprise.

[Six: This humble monk only hopes to enjoy a few cups of wedding wine peacefully on his wedding day.]

[Four: Alas, the courtesans of the Imperial Academy of Music and the unmarried women of the capital must be heartbroken.]

Sigh, I hope I can get married smoothly. Xu Qi'an sighed inwardly.

He could almost picture the wedding scene.

Luo Yuheng held the sword, pointing it at his throat; at that moment, the sword was only 0.01 centimeters away from him.

Luo Yuheng said:

Who do you want to marry?

In the blink of an eye, Mu Nanzhi took off the bracelet in front of everyone:

Think it through before you speak.

Li Miaozhen sneered:

"I'm just here to watch the show, you guys continue."

Huaiqing said:

"If Xu Yinluo is unwilling, I can arrange for the engagement to be called off, and I guarantee that no one will take advantage of a poor young woman."

Chu Caiwei collapsed onto Zhong Li's dying body, crying out:

"The Imperial Advisor has accidentally injured Senior Sister Zhong! Help!"

After the chaotic dance of demons, Xu Lingyue said softly:

"Brother, they're so scary."

Unlike me, I only feel sorry for Giegie.

Thinking of this, Xu Qi'an pinched the bridge of his nose.

What a terrible thing!!

The Xu Residence.

Lina sat at the stone table in the courtyard, holding a fragment of the Earth Book and banging it against the surface.

She suspected that there was something wrong with her fragment of the Earth Book, as she could never receive messages from others, and the fragment would malfunction especially after she sent a message.

Even when she's not sending letters, she can still receive messages from other members normally.

She and Xu Lingyin returned to the capital with Xu Ningyan. The two were very excited and pondered in the Pagoda whether they should start going hungry now so they could eat their fill on their wedding day.

Unexpectedly, before the wedding banquet even started, we almost ended up eating a funeral feast.

When Xu Lingyin got home, as soon as she saw her mother, without saying a word, she rushed to her mother amidst the slight tremors of the ground, tears streaming down her face.

Fortunately, Lina reacted quickly and subdued the unfilial apprentice, saving her aunt's life.

My aunt survived the ordeal, and the joy of our long-awaited reunion turned into lingering fear.

He's beating a young girl in the inner room right now.

The Bureau of Astronomy, the Eight Trigrams Platform.

Li Lingsu retrieved the fragments of the Earth Book, looked at the white-clad figure not far away, and whispered:

"Brother Yang, our chance for revenge has come."

"That scoundrel Xu Ningyan is about to marry Lin'an!"

Yang Qianhuan said slowly:

"What kind of opportunity is this? I'm not going. If I go, I'll have to give that Xu guy a gift, and I won't give him a single penny."

Yang Qianhuan, who had no interest in women, was momentarily stunned.

P. S.: Typos will be corrected later.