In the basement of the Star-Observing Tower.

Zhong Li, who had been meditating quietly in her room, twitched her ear as she heard chaotic footsteps.

At that moment, one set of footsteps quickened and arrived outside her door. A voice called out: “Senior Sister Zhong, the Night Watchmen, under Xu Yinluo’s orders, are bringing prisoners here for detention.”

Zhong Li rose and opened the door to find a white-robed ritualist standing outside.

She nodded first, then looked toward the entrance of the dark corridor. There, she saw a middle-aged man wearing an embroidered golden gong, along with several silver and bronze gong bearers, escorting a group of prisoners.

Zhong Li went to meet them, asking softly, “What happened?”

The white-robed ritualist replied with an “Oh,” explaining calmly, “Silver Gong Xu and the Imperial Princess have rebelled. They plan to imprison several prince brothers, including Emperor Yongxing, in the Bureau of Astronomy.”

As ritualists of the Bureau of Astronomy, looking down on imperial power was standard practice.

Zhong Li approached the golden gong bearer escorting the princes. He cupped his hands and said, “This official is Zhao Jin, here to deliver prisoners. Please make arrangements, Miss Zhong.”

Zhong Li replied, “This floor has twenty rooms. Pick anyone you like.”

Song Fengfeng heard this and casually opened an iron door beside him, pushing Xu Yuanhuai: “Get in!”

Xu Yuanhuai slipped and fell hard on the ground, his head hitting the iron door, letting out a pained groan.

Song Fengfeng started to mock him: “Useless…” Before he could finish, he suddenly slipped as well, falling straight backward with his head hitting the wall.

As a master of the Spirit Refinement realm, he wasn’t injured, but he rubbed his head with a bewildered expression.

Zhao Jin frowned, looking at Song Fengfeng, and scolded, “How impetuous.”

Then he too fell.

“???” Golden Gong Zhao’s face showed confusion.

He couldn’t understand why he, a fourth-rank martial artist who had mastered energy control, would suddenly fall when there were no obstacles and he wasn’t even walking.

Golden Gong Zhao quickly realized something and looked at Zhong Li, guessing, “Is this the formation that contains criminals?”

The lead white-robed ritualist leaned against the wall and nodded, “You could say that.”

Next, the silver and bronze gong bearers pushed the cursing princes and Emperor Yongxing into the rooms. During the process, people from both sides inexplicably fell, either hitting their heads against walls or faces against the ground.

Zhong Li was responsible for closing each iron door, placing her palm on it to activate the formation.

When everything was done, including Golden Gong Zhao, all the Night Watchmen carefully shuffled along the walls to leave the basement.

The white-robed ritualist leaning against the wall sighed, “Yesterday they were emperors, today they’re prisoners. Hehe, it’s not bad to let these pampered princes taste what it’s like to be imprisoned. How else would they know the suffering of common people, right, Senior Sister Zhong?”

Zhong Li froze.

She stood there dumbfounded for a while, her eyes growing brighter, before urgently saying, “Quick, go find Silver Gong Xu and ask him to come here.”

The white-robed ritualist didn’t ask why and nodded, “All right, but Senior Sister Zhong, could you return to your room first?”

He pointed at the open iron door.

The iron door could contain Senior Sister Zhong’s misfortune. He didn’t want to fall every three steps—a ritualist’s physical body was precious and couldn’t handle such abuse.

“Oh!”

Zhong Li turned and entered her room. The moment the iron door closed, the white-robed ritualist heard a muffled “thump,” and he guessed Senior Sister Zhong had fallen.

The white-robed ritualist left the basement, climbing the stairs to reach Xu Qi’an’s temporary quarters.

He was about to knock when sudden inspiration struck, and he thought: “Wait, there are three rules for avoiding misfortune: don’t listen to Senior Sister Zhong’s words; don’t stay near Senior Sister Zhong; don’t touch Senior Sister Zhong’s things.

“I was careless, almost forgot these three rules.”

With this in mind, the white-robed ritualist silently turned and left.

Better to relay Senior Sister Zhong’s message to Senior Brother Song and let him be the cannon fodder.

…

In the Pagoda of the Bureau of Astronomy.

Bai Ji curled up on the meditation cushion, speaking in a soft, coquettish voice, “Why hasn’t Auntie come yet? Master, please let me out, I’m so bored.”

The Pagoda Spirit monk opened his eyes and slowly said, “If the young benefactor is bored, why not study Buddhist teachings with this poor monk?”

Upon hearing this, Bai Ji immediately perked up and exclaimed, “But I’m from the demon race! I was born to fight against Buddhism, how could I study Buddhist teachings with you?”

The Pagoda Spirit monk gave his reasoning: “Understanding your enemy is key to defeating them. Young benefactor, if you study Buddhist teachings with me when you grow up, you’ll be able to find Buddhism’s weaknesses.”

Hearing this, Bai Ji was stunned for a moment, finding it quite reasonable. Her little mind couldn’t think of a counter-argument.

Just then, the Pagoda Spirit monk’s ear twitched, and he smiled, “Your master has returned.”

He flicked his finger, sending out a beam of golden light that bloomed within the room, and then Mu Nanchi appeared.

She wore a lotus-colored dress, looking haggard with exhaustion in her eyes.

When Xu Qi’an left, he hadn’t taken the Pagoda with him, leaving it on the table along with the Taiping Blade, providing the Flower Goddess triple protection.

After Mu Nanchi awoke, she communicated with the Pagoda Spirit and was transported inside.

“Auntie!”

Bai Ji cheered, transforming into a white shadow as she pounced into Mu Nanchi’s arms.

Mu Nanchi caught Bai Ji and sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion. She pressed her palms together devoutly and said, “Master, I have achieved enlightenment.”

The Pagoda Spirit monk asked in return, “What have you realized?”

Mu Nanchi spoke with utmost sincerity, having achieved great enlightenment: “Form is emptiness!”

The Pagoda Spirit monk nodded approvingly: “Excellent!”

Meanwhile, he muttered to himself: These words sound quite familiar.

Bai Ji sniffed with her pink nose and said in confusion, “Auntie, there’s a strange smell on you, it’s not your usual scent…”

“You’re mistaken.”

“No, no, my nose is very sensitive.”

“Shut up, little one, stop prying.”

The Pagoda Spirit monk listened to their argument and extended his finger, gently touching Mu Nanchi’s brow.

The Flower Goddess’s eyes instantly became vacant, losing their luster. She swayed and fell unconscious.

This sudden change startled Bai Ji.

“This poor monk is helping her regulate her qi. It’s stuck in her dantian and would harm her body otherwise,” the Pagoda Spirit monk explained.

Overnight, a surge of overwhelming qi that she couldn’t digest had appeared in her body, which was the cause of her exhaustion.

…

At the Prince’s Mansion.

Wang Zhenwen had awakened at dawn. After lunch and taking his medicine, he lay awake, unwilling to sleep, as if waiting for something.

After daybreak, he heard faint sounds of artillery fire.

Soon it became quiet again.

He waited and waited until lunchtime arrived.

Wang Zhenwen didn’t eat a single grain of rice, and finally, the butler came to report that Prime Minister Qian and several officials had come to visit.

At this, Prime Minister Wang felt relieved and told the butler to invite them in.

Shortly after, Qian Qingshu, Minister Sun, and several other core members of the Wang faction entered and sat around the round table.

Qian Qingshu moved his round stool closest to the bed.

Wang Zhenwen looked at their expressions and pondered for a while before saying, “It seems the matter is done, but why do you all wear such expressions?”

His old companions remained rather silent, though not necessarily grave—it was more the complexity of not knowing where to begin.

Minister Sun of the Ministry of Justice and the others exchanged glances before collectively turning to Qian Qingshu.

Knowing he couldn’t avoid it, Qian Qingshu sighed lightly: “It’s done, but the outcome has some… deviations.”

“Deviations?” Wang Zhenwen saw his hesitation and his heart sank as he thought of a possibility. He urgently asked, “Has Xu Qi’an usurped the throne?!

“How foolish! The Great Song’s destiny isn’t exhausted yet. From commoners to nobles, all still acknowledge the royal family. Even those rebels in Yun Province go to great lengths to promote their legitimacy, sparing no effort to seek Yongxing’s recognition for this very reason.

“He has finally accumulated considerable prestige, how could he destroy his prospects?”

The anger aggravated his condition, causing him to cough violently.

“Calm down, calm down…” Qian Qingshu helped him sit up, patting his back gently. After some hesitation, he said, “Xu Qi’an hasn’t usurped the throne. With his personality, he wouldn’t sit on the dragon throne even if offered.

“Do you think he’s the type who would willingly bury himself in paperwork and handle state affairs?”

Wang Zhenwen thought about it and found it reasonable. His mood calmed somewhat, and he asked, “Whom does he plan to enthrone?”

Qian Qingshu said quietly, “Imperial Princess Huai Qing!”

“Cough cough cough…” Wang Zhenwen began coughing violently again, his face turning red.

Minister Sun quickly poured a cup of hot tea and offered it: “Have some tea to calm down.”

Wang Zhenwen reluctantly took a sip to suppress his coughing, then eagerly asked, “You all agreed to this?”

Qian Qingshu said helplessly, “We originally thought Prince Yan would be enthroned. Only afterward did we realize that the young man had deceived us all with a feint.

“By then, the arrow was already on the string, and we were all in the same boat. Could we still turn back?”

Once they had shouted “Request Your Majesty to abdicate,” there was no turning back.

Moreover, with Huai Qing firmly controlling Emperor Yongxing and his brothers, even if the Wang faction wanted to change their minds, they had no suitable candidate to put forward.

The late emperor’s brothers and various princes weren’t qualified enough.

Besides, seeing how the princes and dukes clearly held their noses and accepted Huai Qing, they probably weren’t willing to take risks.

Wang Zhenwen flew into a rage: “A woman ascending to the throne—this is preposterous, preposterous!”

Minister Sun suddenly said, “It’s not entirely unacceptable. There is a precedent for a female emperor in Da Yang.

“Moreover, in terms of talent, courage, and ability, the Imperial Princess excels. Her becoming emperor would be far better than Emperor Yongxing or any other prince.”

Wang Zhenwen asked incredulously, “What benefits did she offer you?”

Minister Sun looked at Qian Qingshu, and the newly appointed Prime Minister said softly, “Nothing much, just the promises that Emperor Yongxing made to us but never fulfilled, citing court stability as the reason.

“Also, the court will be reshuffled, and the vacant positions will be divided between the Wei faction and us, ending the multi-party struggle.”

Wang Zhenwen fell silent.

Because he knew his opposition would be futile—Huai Qing had offered too much, so much that the Wang faction couldn’t refuse.

Even though everyone knew she would eventually support other factions and not allow the Wei and Wang factions to grow too powerful, no one would reject immediate benefits because of future concerns.

This wasn’t about intelligence; it was about human nature.

“Clever calculation. Compared to Emperor Yongxing, she’s more like Emperor Yuanjing.”

Wang Zhenwen snorted, “Given the circumstances, this old man can only follow the tide.”

What else could he do, bedridden as he was?

“However, I must give you all a word of warning.”

Wang Zhenwen swept his gaze across everyone in the room and said gravely, “A female emperor, even with historical precedent, is not the mainstream norm—its persuasive power is limited. It won’t be easy for her to secure her position on the dragon throne.”

Qian Qingshu stood up and cupped his hands, “Please continue, Brother Wang.”

…

Xu Qi’an returned to the Bureau of Astronomy and arrived at his bedroom door to find Song Qing collapsed outside.

“Someone did come looking for me, good thing I made several preparations…”

He muttered to himself, picked up Song Qing, and gave him several slaps to forcefully wake him up.

Song Qing woke up groggily and said in confusion, “Young Master Xu, you’re back… eh, my face hurts.”

It’s not that dramatic, I just gave two light slaps. Oh right, I’m already a second-rank martial artist now… Xu Qi’an changed the subject: “What did you come to see me about?”

Song Qing rubbed his swollen face and said somewhat unclearly, “Junior Sister Zhong asked someone to relay a message, saying she needs to see you.”

Poor little Zhong Li is looking for me. Xu Qi’an nodded: “If it’s not urgent, I’ll go see her when I have time.

“By the way, Senior Brother Song, have you been staying up late doing alchemy experiments lately? Haven’t slept for a long time?”

Song Qing was surprised: “How did you know?”

If your mind was clearer, you wouldn’t have taken Zhong Li’s task. This is a simple deduction… Xu Qi’an didn’t explain, respectfully seeing off the somewhat mentally impaired Song Qing.

Watching his figure leave, Xu Qi’an wiped away the strong anesthetic from the door and pushed it open.

The room was empty, the bed messy. The Great Song’s first beauty was gone, and the irregular stains on the sheets had already dried.

Xu Qi’an’s gaze naturally fell on the Taiping Blade on the table.

The Taiping Blade stood on its tip, pointing toward the nearby Pagoda.

Xu Qi’an nodded, and his form instantly transformed into golden light, entering the Pagoda.

On the spacious third floor, the Pagoda Spirit monk sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, while Mu Nanchi lay crooked on another cushion, unconscious.

Bai Ji approached her side, continuously sniffing with her delicate pink nose.

“Little fox, what are you doing!” Xu Qi’an thought, are you molesting my wife?

Seeing him enter, Bai Ji expressed her happiness, then said in confusion, “There’s a strange smell on Auntie, hmm, it feels very familiar.”

… Xu Qi’an was startled, thinking how could you possibly be familiar with it, you’re still a child.

Bai Ji stared at him for a moment, then suddenly realized: “I remember now! Sister Ye Ji has this smell every time after mating with you.”

She raised her paw, forcefully patted the cushion, and said angrily, “Did you mate with my Auntie? She’s mine, you can’t take her away!”

“Don’t worry, she’ll still hold you and keep you company for meals and sleep,” Xu Qi’an comforted her.

And give you a comfortable pillow… he added mentally.

Hearing this, Bai Ji was satisfied and raised her fluffy fox tail.

At this moment, the Pagoda Spirit monk found an opportunity to say, “I’ve regulated her qi. Others might not achieve such abundant qi even in ten years of cultivation.”

This was all the qi that Xu Qi’an had transferred into her body.

After a pause, the old monk said, “There seems to be another force awakening within her body, a very mysterious force—presumably the spiritual essence of the Immortal Tree.”

The Pagoda Spirit had been present during the conversation with the Netherworld Silkworm.

Xu Qi’an nodded, picked up Mu Nanchi, and left the Pagoda, returning to the bedroom.

He had returned early specifically to help her regulate her qi. The Flower Goddess wasn’t versed in cultivation and couldn’t circulate qi on her own. As a result, the qi Xu Qi’an had transferred into her body would congeal in her dantian.

Over time, this would harm her body.

Now that the Pagoda Spirit had voluntarily helped, he was saved some effort.

Xu Qi’an placed the Flower Goddess on the bed, removed her embroidered shoes, and stared at her delicate white feet for a few moments.

“Can’t exhaust the beauty.”

He silently covered her with the blanket.

At this moment, he felt as if someone had struck the back of his head with a stick, so he routinely took out the Ground Script fragment to check the situation.

Fish Pond Number One had sent a private message.

[Three: Your Highness?]

[One: I sent someone to comfort Lin’an, and found that although her mood isn’t high, she’s no longer seriously affected.]

[Three: Ah? I knew nothing about this.]

In the Imperial Study, Huai Qing looked at the Ground Script fragment and chuckled.

[One: Prime Minister Qian just came to see me with several suggestions.]

Xu Qi’an remained silent, waiting patiently. Shortly after, Huai Qing’s lengthy discourse arrived.

[One: A female emperor faces enormous obstacles. I can suppress the court officials and military, but not necessarily control the various state offices, garrisons, and the endless discussions among the common people.

[Therefore, before ascending the throne, the priority is to control and guide public opinion. Have the major restaurants and teahouses in the capital talk about the historical achievements of the Da Yang Empress, and let more people know about this.

[Then parade the Yun Province delegation through the streets to win people’s hearts.

[Finally, Prime Minister Qian suggested that if there could be auspicious omens on the day of my coronation, it would stabilize public sentiment.]

First, promote the achievements of the Da Yang Empress to give people some foundation and minimize resistance… Parading the Yun Province delegation is a way to win people’s hearts—hmm, this was a common tactic in talent shows in a certain “free country” in his previous life, very effective.

Auspicious omens are basically the same approach as Liu Bang’s white snake uprising, giving oneself legitimacy, and this point is precisely the most important—one should never underestimate the power of “the will of the people.”

Xu Qi’an analyzed internally, then wrote: [Prime Minister Qian has a talent for governing.]

[One: This was former Prime Minister Wang Zhenwen’s idea.]

[Three: Your Highness is telling me this because?]

[One: About the auspicious omens… I’ve thought it over but can’t come up with any suitable ideas.]

You can’t ask me about this, I’m just a crude warrior… Xu Qi’an complained internally but offered a suggestion: [How about having the Spirit Dragon carry Your Highness for a flight over the capital?]

[One: The capital’s citizens don’t recognize the Spirit Dragon. It would be like winking at a blind man.]

[Three: I’m skilled in beast control, I could summon birds to pay tribute to the phoenix.]

He had just said this when he rejected his suggestion.

The capital wasn’t like the south; there were hardly any birds in winter, and this winter was particularly cold—many cold-resistant birds had frozen to death.

Even if he worked himself to exhaustion, he could only summon a limited number of birds. Small-scale displays were meaningless and couldn’t emphasize the ceremonial significance of the female emperor’s coronation.

[Three: How about you holding the Imperial Sword while riding the Spirit Dragon for a flight?]

[One: Anyone with royal bloodline can hold the Imperial Sword. Besides, common people’s eyesight is limited—fly too high and they can’t see, flying too low and circling the capital would make me look like I’m showing off.]

Huai Qing thought about that scene and felt it would be too embarrassing.

Then you should go ask the ritualists and Confucians, they’re the ones who are fancy, I’m just a crude warrior… Xu Qi’an frowned: [Sorry, I’m out of ideas.]

[One: Never mind!]

In the Imperial Study, Huai Qing put down the Ground Script fragment and sighed softly.

Qian Qingshu immediately asked from below, “Your Highness, does Silver Gong Xu have any ideas?”

He didn’t recognize the Ground Script fragment and thought it was just a communication tool from the Bureau of Astronomy.

Huai Qing shook her head slightly.

Left Censor Liu Hong said, “If there’s no other way, we could have Zhao Shou create the illusion of dragons and phoenixes in harmony during Your Highness’s coronation.”

Creating auspicious omens was beyond the abilities of civil officials like them; they could only seek help from supernatural experts. If Xu Qi’an had no solution, then they could only turn to Zhao Shou.

Qian Qingshu pondered for a moment and said, “This method could work, but the scale seems somewhat lacking, not enough to leave a lasting impression.”

Zhang Xingying rarely agreed with the Wang faction leader’s words: “Your Highness’s coronation is an unprecedented event in our dynasty, not an ordinary matter. The more grand these auspicious omens are, the better.”

They wanted omens that would shock the entire capital.

The civil officials had searched through historical records, studied the methods of their predecessors, and found three approaches. Dragons and phoenixes in harmony was the best option, but Huai Qing still wasn’t quite satisfied.

Of course, if it were natural phenomena, there would be many more options, but phenomena don’t necessarily indicate auspicious omens.

Most large-scale natural phenomena symbolized disasters.

Such as earthquakes, thunder, and lightning, or blood-red skies…

…

Wouldn’t the best auspicious omen be me carrying you around the capital? I am the most famous auspicious beast in Great Song… Xu Qi’an complained while putting down the Ground Script fragment.

Suddenly, he caught the scent of flowers and the fresh smell of vegetation.

Looking around in surprise, the room had completely transformed. Mu Nanchi lay in a bed of flowers, with colorful blooms and green grass sprouting from the bed, growing through the quilts.

They grew from the bath barrel, the tea table, the pillars, from all wooden furniture.

At that moment, Xu Qi’an doubted whether he was sitting in a bedroom or a greenhouse.

This is simply ridiculous… Xu Qi’an was dumbfounded.

Honestly, even among transcendent beings, this kind of ability was as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns—the Flower Goddess’s spiritual essence was terrifyingly powerful.

Just as he was worrying about how to clean up the room full of flowers and plants, suddenly something clicked in his mind. He took out the Ground Script fragment again and initiated a private chat with Huai Qing:

[Your Highness, I have an idea that could bring heavenly auspicious omens during your coronation—the kind that will be recorded in history.]