Everyone Was Bound by a Cage

As an emperor, the new emperor did not simply spend his days playing and listening to music.

He has a very clear goal in everything he does.

While the empress and others believed he was obsessed with beautiful women, the new emperor did not possess such qualities.

Just as Zhang Xuezhou had listened, the new emperor also benefited from this rhythm.

This rhythm did not come easily; it was not only due to Wei Zifu's excellent singing voice, but also to the new emperor's personal cultivation of her.

"Your Majesty is amazing!"

After his daring and rapid advancement into the Divine Ability Realm, the new emperor could no longer maintain his rapid and aggressive cultivation pace, and instead fell into a period of constant adjustment.

In this situation, his daily efforts in spiritual practice became largely meaningless.

They might ride out of Chang'an City to hunt wild beasts and enhance their combat skills, lest they possess only the realm of knowledge but lack the ability to fight; or they might immerse themselves in the enrichment of reading widely, thereby seeking to fill in the gaps in their knowledge.

The new emperor also discovered by chance that Wei Zifu possessed a rather special talent for chanting, and thus had her follow him in cultivation.

In just about a year, Wei Zifu not only broke through her cultivation level, but her cultivation also showed a rapid and unstoppable momentum.

If one does not pursue methods but only focuses on advancing one's realm, and does not care about the strength of Realm Technique, then, provided one has suitable Realm Technique manuals and sufficient cultivation resources, reaching realms below the Divine Ability Realm is not too difficult.

This was already recorded in "Zhongni Qiguan Shuo".

As a singer, Wei Zifu did not need to expend a lot of Law Power to chant, nor did she need to subdue demons and monsters. Her current realm had already entered the Consciousness Creation Realm, almost catching up with Kong Anguo's continuous breakthroughs in a year.

"Of course!" the new emperor laughed. "Few ordinary people are qualified to come to the inner palace to hear Wei Zifu sing. You've really struck gold today!"

No normal person would let their wife sing to please others, and the new emperor was no exception.

Aside from the guards and the imperial attendants who were on duty in the boudoir, few outsiders had ever heard Wei Zifu sing, let alone someone like Zhang Xuezhou who could discern the rhythm and even benefit from it.

"I originally thought that the lower one's cultivation level, the more benefits one could receive from Lady Wei's chanting, but I never imagined that only those with high cultivation levels could experience its profound mysteries," Zhang Xuezhou said, bowing with gratitude. "I have been fortunate enough to hear Dongfang Shuo music by chance!"

"If Lord Dongfang likes it, he is welcome to come and listen often," Wei Zifu said, glancing at the new emperor. "My musical skills are shallow, and I lack people who understand music. If Lord Dongfang can point out my strengths and weaknesses, I can improve my abilities and be of more use to Your Majesty!"

That's true!

The new emperor's expression changed slightly when he heard Wei Zifu's first sentence, but his expression softened when Wei Zifu added the second sentence.

"Zifu, don't underestimate Dongfang Shuo just because he looks young. His cultivation is quite high, and his strength is comparable to Wei Qing's," the new emperor laughed.

"My younger brother is slow-witted and knows nothing about music, unlike Lord Dongfang's keen perception," Wei Zifu shook her head and said, "A genius like Lord Dongfang is extremely rare, probably second only to His Majesty!"

"Dongfang Shuo is not bad!"

The new emperor praised her, and Zhang Xuezhou waved his hands repeatedly, feeling as if he had almost been flattered to death by the woman's words.

He was merely a minister; how could he frequently come to the emperor's harem to listen to music?

This was an extremely obvious overstepping of authority, and even if the emperor could tolerate it at the time, he would inevitably complain later.

"I met Huo Qubing a few days ago. He is intelligent and quick-witted, and also has a clever tongue. Young people are simple-minded and have the most primal sense of music. Perhaps he can be of some help to Lady Wei. Huo Qubing would also benefit greatly from being exposed to music!"

Zhang Xuezhou couldn't tell whether Wei Zifu was inexperienced in interpersonal relationships with high-ranking officials, or if she was simply setting a trap for him.

This prompted him to quickly establish a connection with Wei Shao'er.

On the one hand, it indicated that they had a good relationship and tried to minimize negative interpersonal impacts. On the other hand, Zhang Xuezhou subtly retaliated by introducing Huo Qubing, this bold and mischievous boy, to Shufang. If Huo Qubing were to come to Shufang, chaos would be inevitable.

As for Huo Qubing, there might be some problems with the other party's brain region. If he could happen to obtain Wei Zifu's musical rhythm, it might be of some use.

He smiled and spoke subtly as he introduced them, which made Wei Zifu's eyes warm slightly, and also revealed the new emperor's thoughtful expression.

"Since Zifu is pregnant, it would be wonderful if she had an older brother to cause some trouble!"

After a long pause, the new emperor finally responded.

This response delighted Empress Wei Zifu, while Zhang Xuezhou felt his head was about to explode.

He originally intended to kill three birds with one stone, and his actions were meticulous in every aspect. Little did he expect that Wei Zifu would become pregnant.

If Huo Qubing's mischievousness went too far and affected the other party's pregnancy, Zhang Xuezhou wouldn't think his fate would be any better.

He pondered for a moment and realized that being with the new emperor always caused clashes, whether intentional or unintentional, which could easily lead to adverse effects on both of them.

"Huo Qubing has become a bit more active," Zhang Xuezhou said. "I heard that Chen Zhang holds a position in the palace. If Huo Qubing is too disruptive, he can be punished by being made to do chores with Chen Zhang. That should help to temper his temper."

"You've thought of everything," the new emperor retorted. "Have you considered that in Qu Bing's eyes I'm merely the Marquis of Pingyang? How am I supposed to get along with Qu Bing in the future?"

"If His Majesty comes to Shufang, Zifu will hear the imperial guards' call and immediately send Bing and her sister out of the palace, thus avoiding them meeting!"

Seeing that Zhang Xuezhou was being feignedly reprimanded by the new emperor, Wei Zifu quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

Perhaps it was loneliness in the palace, or perhaps it was because Wei Shao'er was Wei Zifu's sister, or perhaps for other reasons, Wei Zifu was doing her best to cooperate at this time.

After the explanation, her private quarters unexpectedly gained a few more potential candidates, and the new emperor did not show any dissatisfaction; in fact, he was quite pleased.

Shufang welcomed an unexpected person, but they eventually got along well thanks to smooth communication.

Not only did the new emperor not show any sign of being bothered, but after their conversation, Wei Zifu also became extremely friendly towards Zhang Xuezhou, completely abandoning her previous constant flattery.

"She's not a naive and innocent girl. The TV dramas are right; anyone who can survive in the harem and receive favor is definitely not simple!"

Zhang Xuezhou has also been through many ups and downs for more than ten years, experiencing a great deal.

From initial suspicion to confirmation, he was now completely certain of the answer.

Compared to someone with a youthful appearance and mature mindset, the other party undoubtedly lacked the accumulation of time, which is why Zhang Xuezhou's keen perception was able to detect it.

However, after relatively smooth communication and learning that Zhang Xuezhou had a connection with Wei Shao'er and even had interacted with Huo Qubing, Wei Zifu showed great kindness and treated Zhang Xuezhou with the gentleness of family.

"Her Majesty's past has been difficult, and hers has likely been even more so, which may have led to her being somewhat wary of outsiders. But once she has let her guard down, she should now consider me a trustworthy person!"

Recalling the sounds he heard in the Jiaofang Palace, Zhang Xuezhou also came to understand them.

In this room of limited size, Wei Zifu could only rely on herself.

Only by maximizing their own potential, utilizing their beauty, offspring, talents, and abilities, can the other party firmly bind the new emperor and ensure their own safety.

This pressure may also be an important factor in Wei Zifu's continuous breakthroughs in cultivation over the past two years.

This is a way to save oneself from being trapped in the prison of the harem; otherwise, one can only wait to be eliminated from the palace intrigue, or leave the palace to make a living after growing old and losing one's beauty, or even become a sacrificial offering and be buried alive.

Although the couple appears to be loving and happy together, only Wei Zifu herself knows the bittersweet experiences they've endured.

Zhang Xuezhou sighed inwardly, feeling that everyone was more or less trapped in a cage.

If one cannot utilize all of one's own resources for development, one will inevitably be constrained by it.

Empress Wei Zifu was like this, Zhang Xuezhou should be like this, and the new emperor is no different.

With Wei Zifu gaining the new emperor's favor and winning his heart, Zhang Xuezhou glimpsed a glimmer of hope in escaping the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon. Meanwhile, the new emperor was no longer under the control of the Empress Dowager.