Demoness, where are you Fleeing to?
Chapter 642 - 527

Chapter 642: 527

When Li Xuan left the Taihe Gate, he deliberately waited on the stone steps until Yu Hongshang also came out from inside the gate.

At this moment, an absent-minded expression was still visible on Yu Hongshang’s face. By her side was a Neishi carrying the imperial decree and stamped letters handed down by the Emperor, entrusting her with the regency. He followed Yu Hongshang closely, step by step.

Seeing this, Jiang Hanyun, Yue Qianqian, Luo Yan and a few other girls all wore solemn expressions on their faces and bowed slightly to Yu Hongshang: "Salutations to the Regent Princess!"

Previously, they could regard Yu Hongshang as an equal, not paying much regard to her status and identity as the Princess. But now, given Yu Hongshang’s appointment as the Regent, she was second only to the Emperor in power - a stark contrast from the past.

Even Luo Yan made a show of paying her respects this time.

"There is no need for formalities. It’s just regency for two months. Let’s not let this affect our sisterly bond," Yu Hongshang said, then let out a long sigh, clearing her mind a bit.

She looked at Li Xuan, and there was so much she wanted to say. In her current situation, she instinctively sought for a reliable ally.

But when Yu Hongshang thought of the hesitation Li Xuan demonstrated onboard the Yunzhong warship that day, she bit her lip and swallowed her words back. "Li Xuan, you and the others go ahead. Starting from today, I must stay in the palace. His Majesty has instructed me to handle the affairs of the state from the Wenhua Palace during my regency."

Wenhua Palace was located to the left of the Taihe Gate. Since the reign of Emperor Taizong, it had been the place where the Crown Prince oversees political affairs.

Li Xuan thought to himself that this girl didn’t even call him Xuan now.

Li Xuan only felt extremely helpless. He originally planned to try and make amends for past mistakes, winning Yu Hongshang back upon his return to the capital.

Now, with his ’Second Mind’ taking care of official duties, he had more time on his hands.

But now that Yu Hongshang needed to stay in the palace to serve as the Regent, how could he influence her? Where could he begin?

Despite feeling hopeless, Li Xuan was also worried for Yu Hongshang.

None of the ministers, like Chen Xun, Gao Gu, Yu Jie, and Shang Hong, were obedient figures.

Although the Emperor forcefully pushed Yu Hongshang into the spotlight, these ministers might still not accept her. Even if they reluctantly acknowledged her out of consideration for greater interests, they were unlikely to do so without harboring some resentment.

Moreover, Yu Hongshang was young and a woman. It was inevitable that she would be underestimated.

Li Xuan sighed, then looked at Yu Hongshang with utmost seriousness: "Hongshang, if you encounter any difficulties in the palace, or if any of those ministers dare to make things difficult for you, just come to me. I won’t let you down!"

Yu Hongshang just ’hmphed’, thinking that this man certainly had thick skin.

However, Li Xuan’s words undoubtedly warmed her heart. The ground beneath her feet, which had felt soft as cotton, suddenly became solid. The chaos in her mind also cleared significantly.

"I know, mind your own business," Yu Hongshang replied, her tone a bit harsh, before she softened it: "I am, after all, a princess, the current eldest princess. Do you think I’m a naive, weak girl?"

She was brought up in the palace and was well-versed in the art of power and strategy. It was just that she never had a chance to put her knowledge into practice.

Li Xuan gave a bitter smile, then his gaze shifted towards the deeper parts of the palace, his eyebrows gradually furrowing.

The fact that the Jingtai Emperor had ordered Yu Hongshang to serve as Regent made him feel uneasy, as if a cold chill was creeping over him.

What Li Xuan didn’t know was that at that very moment, the Jingtai Emperor was also observing them through his Spirit Eye from the eastern warm loft of Kun Ning Palace.

At the same time, behind the Jingtai Emperor, a woman dressed in a phoenix gown with a twelve-dragon and nine-phoenix coronet, exuding an exceptional elegance, was sat upright.

It was the Jingtai Emperor’s wife, Empress Wang. The eldest princess and the prince of the Jingtai Emperor were both mothered by Lady Hang, but his empress was Madam Wang, who had given him two daughters, both of whom had died at an early age.

Right now, Empress Wang was looking at the Jingtai Emperor with a mocking gaze, "Pitiful, lamentable, regrettable, laughable. The majestic Emperor, the ruler of all people under heaven, has fallen to such a state. He is deserted by all, trusts no one, and has to entrust the safety of his life and the heavy responsibility of the entire country to his daughter. Is this not laughable?"

The Jingtai Emperor’s face was cold, staring out of the palace in silence.

Empress Wang gave a cold chuckle: "I wonder, do you now regret that day?"

Jingtai Emperor’s eyes lifted faintly: "Zitong, by ’that day’, you are referring to the day I named Yu Jianji as Crown Prince?"

"I am referring to the day you ascended the throne." Empress Wang’s gaze was complex, "That first day you ascended the heavenly level, inheriting the imperial throne, you were so confident, thinking you were unmatched. Did you think that ten years later, your only son, Jianji, would be on his deathbed due to your sudden severe illness?

Did you imagine that you, Yu Qiyu, the holder of the heavenly level, would be facing the end of your life after only ten years of reign, your lifespan in danger? That you would be unable to ensure your lineage, leaving no one to worship you, or even being stripped of your imperial title?"

Jingtai Emperor furrowed his eyebrows and looked back at her, "Zitong, you have been talking a little too much today."

The Empress had a cold expression and replied, "Someone told me that you prepared an order to depose me when you tried to make Jianji the Crown Prince. If it weren’t for the Kylin’s arrival at the gate, causing Prince Yi, Jianshen, to suffer great loss in reputation, wouldn’t I already be in the cold palace now? Where is the love and respect in our marriage? What do I have to lose?"

The Jingtai Emperor squinted his eyes, a hint of shrewdness flashing in them, "The one who told you this, was the Dowager Empress, wasn’t it?"

Years ago, when he wished to set his successor, Empress Wang strongly opposed it, which made him consider deposing her as Empress.

Originally, this matter was extremely confidential, known to no more than fifteen people, but the news still leaked out half a year later.

The Jingtai Emperor knew that the uncertainty within his inner circle was the cause of this. His son, Crown Prince Yu Jianshen, had fallen into a chronic coma, and the consequences had come to this—

He hadn’t planned to get an answer from Empress Wang. He turned his head back to look forward and his face became complex: "Indeed, I have regretted it. But if time could be rewound to ten years ago, allowing me to make that choice again, there would not be a different outcome. If the country collapses and the dynasty is in peril, as the son of the Xuan Emperor, it is my duty to save it!"

Empress Wang was stunned. She looked at the vigorous and heroic Jingtai Emperor, who was overflowing with confidence. After a while, she said lightly, "You shouldn’t have annulled Prince Yi Jianshen’s title as Crown Prince. Prince Yi is loyal and wise, and could have been entrusted with handling your affairs in your absence."

The Jingtai Emperor chuckled in disbelief, "Indeed, Jianshen is a good boy. However, I have dedicated so much for the prosperity of the Jin Dynasty that now I am not only left with heavy injuries but have also lost almost half of my heavenly lifespan. How could I resign myself to pass on the throne to a descendant of my incapable older brother?"

He snorted, his hand on the longsword at his waist, looking up at the sky: "Does Zitong not believe in me? Well, to me, it’s still uncertain who has won."

※※※※

While Li Xuan was meeting with the Emperor in the palace, his ’Second Mind’ had already brought Dugu Biluo to the Jiang’s hospital.

By coincidence, Xue Yunrou was also there. She was sitting beside Lady Jiang.

Originally, this aunt and niece relationship had grown strained due to some reasons. But since Xue Yunrou joined the Tianshi’s mansion, they reconciled again for some unknown reason.

After Xue Yunrou moved into the Taoist temple next to the Marquis of Guanjun, she would often come over for meals.

"Who is she?"

After they entered, Xue Yunrou first looked at Dugu Bilo suspiciously, then turned to look at Li Xuan’s ’Second Mind’. She was naturally suspicious of the relationship between these two.

Fire sprang from her eyes. In her heart she thought, it had only been a month since he went to Qinghai-Tibet and he already brought back another girl! Does he ever stop?

"She is Dugu Biluo, my implement slave."

’The Second Mind’ was solemn and saluted Lady Jiang and Jiang Yunqi, "I entrust this lady to the two of you——"

At this moment, Dugu Biluo needed not only the care of Lady Jiang, but also the help of Jiang Yunqi to strengthen her fundamentals and resolve the Dinglu and Spirit Puppet secret techniques in her body.

However, before he finished speaking, he felt a pain in his waist.

Xue Yunrou’s waist-pinch technique was even more powerful than that of Yu Hongchang’s.

Yu Hongchang had pity for him, and when she was angry, she would only rotate 720 degrees. On the other hand, Xue Yunrou would start at 720 degrees. When she was angry, she could go up to 1000 degrees, her two hands performing in succession could reach a full three rotations.

Actually, the normal skin and muscles of a person can only rotate about 180 degrees, but who told him that he had a Henglian Golden Body? It was very flexible.

"Eh? Wrong! Your muscles are not as tight as before, you are not Li Xuan!"

Xue Yunrou frowned, looked at the ’Second Mind’, and then realized: "This is your split body, the Second Mind?"

Her words drew the attention of Lady Jiang and Jiang Yunqi, especially Jiang Yunqi.

The divine doctor from Jiangnan glanced at ’Li Xuan’ and smiled: "This split of yours is quite something."

The Second Mind just calmly looked at Xue Yunrou: "Miss Xue, there is a debtor for every debt. If you have any grievances, you should find the main culprit. It’s not necessary to vent your anger on innocent bystanders like me.

Moreover, although I am a split body, I would still like you to respect my basic human rights. It’s very painful!"

"Human rights!" Xue Yunrou scoffed, and added more force to her pinch.

She wanted it to hurt. The ’Second Mind’ of Li Xuan was clearly tightly connected to the main body. She wanted the main body of Li Xuan to experience what unbearable pain felt like.

Lady Jiang, however, wasn’t bothered by it. Li Xuan had previously sent a talisman signal, saying that his split body would bring Dugu Biluo to them.

At this point, Lady Jiang held Dugu Biluo’s hand with a kindly look: "So you are Dugu Biluo?"

She looked up and down at Dugu Bilo, and then showed a look of pity: "Poor child! When I read about your situation in Hanyun’s letter, I shed tears for you. How can there be such cruel and crazy people like Huaibi and Liu Zongquan in the world?

Biluo, may I be so bold as to ask, would you be willing to be my adopted daughter?"

Originally, Dugu Biluo was listening with an indifferent face, but at this point, she couldn’t help but be surprised, and looked at Lady Jiang in astonishment.

Lady Jiang just smiled slightly, holding Dugu Biluo’s hand tighter: "When Hanyun wrote to me, I had this idea. I originally planned to keep you by my side for a while before bringing up this matter. But after meeting you today, Biluo, I suddenly felt a special bond with you."

Dugu Biluo began to panic. She felt that this lady’s smile was particularly warm, very kind and friendly. She wanted to agree, but somewhere in her heart, she was instinctively wary and resistant.