Xu Ling Yue wasn’t particularly determined to uncover Mu Nan Zhi’s identity, but this “elder” who had suddenly integrated into the Xu household and then been brought to the palace displayed a nobility and pride that surpassed even the most refined young ladies.

Though she seemed so ordinary, why was she so confident?

Xu Ling Yue was naturally curious.

She had little to do at home anyway, just making robes and boots for her father and brothers, reading books—there wasn’t much else to occupy her time.

Previously, there had been a little bean sprout who would cling to her, but since her young sister went to the Southern Borders, the house had become much quieter.

Occasionally she would read Human Sect’s texts and study their mental cultivation techniques. When Xu Qi An first entered the jianghu, she used her elder brother’s name to successfully join the Human Sect and become a registered disciple of the Spirit Treasure Temple, studying under a female Daoist master—all to counter her mother’s “marriage pressure.”

She had asked her elder brother’s permission at the time, and he had agreed.

With nothing to do, she liked to find things to occupy herself, and this woman called Mu Nan Zhi had arrived at just the right time.

“Aunt Mu, let me accompany you,”

Xu Ling Yue rose and said softly:

“You might not know where Phoenix Roost Palace is, but I’ve been to the palace before and can guide you.”

Mu Nan Zhi waved her hand: “No need, I’ll go myself.”

She thought to herself, I was navigating the inner palace before this little girl was even born.

Xu Ling Yue reminded her:

“Then please be careful not to offend the Empress Dowager.”

Mu Nan Zhi waved her hand again, speaking as she walked out:

“Don’t worry about it.”

She thought to herself, I was outshining the Empress Dowager when I was fourteen—why would I fear this old woman now?

Xu Ling Yue watched Mu Nan Zhi’s retreating figure, lost in thought.

After half an hour, her aunt emerged from the back courtyard, holding a pot of miniature bamboo, her beautiful face full of smiles.

“Oh? Where’s your Aunt Mu?”

Her aunt was about to share this lovely bamboo with her good sister, looking around but seeing no one.

“She went to Phoenix Roost Palace to cause trouble for the Empress Dowager.”

Xu Ling Yue said in her gentle voice.

Her aunt was startled at these words, hurriedly placing the bamboo on the stone table and saying anxiously:

“Cause trouble for the Empress Dowager? A commoner like her, picking a fight with the Empress Dowager—isn’t she tired of living?”

Xu Ling Yue said in her soft voice:

“Mother, is Aunt Mu a fool?”

Her aunt was taken aback, scolding:

“Listen to you! You’re the fool, just like Ling Yin.”

She poked Xu Ling Yue with her finger.

Xu Ling Yue said with an aggrieved expression:

“If she’s not a fool, then Aunt Mu must be confident for a reason. Mother, haven’t you noticed? Aunt Mu is very familiar with the palace, and those complicated official titles like Chief Eunuch and Imperial Secretary roll off her tongue.

“If I’m not mistaken, she must either be a royal relative or a palace consort.”

“Really?” Her aunt’s mouth gaped open, full of doubt:

“If she were a palace consort or royal relative, why would she come to our home? You silly girl, always letting your imagination run wild.”

The “silly girl” Xu Ling Yue sighed, losing interest in discussing it with her mother, and rested her chin on her hand, staring blankly at the miniature bamboo.

Her aunt said:

“I’ll go to Phoenix Roost Palace to check. We can’t let your Aunt Mu offend the Empress Dowager. Now I know that even the Empress Dowager doesn’t dare offend me.”

As she spoke, she glanced at her daughter’s ethereally beautiful face—large bright eyes, defined features, cherry-like lips, delicate fair skin—she had grown into a graceful young lady.

“When the weather warms up, I’ll find you a suitable husband. It’s time for you to marry,” she said.

“Oh Mother, hurry up and go! If you’re late, your good sister might be sentenced to death by the Empress Dowager,” Xu Ling Yue said impatiently.

“Help me put the bamboo in the flower bed to get some sun,” her aunt said, striding out of the courtyard with her skirts flying.

Xu Ling Yue rested her chin on her hand, narrowing her spiritually radiant eyes.

Reacting so intensely to her elder brother’s marriage to Princess Lin An—whether this Aunt Mu was a palace consort or royal relative, her relationship with her elder brother was certainly not ordinary.

“Another one…”

Xu Ling Yue sighed, her alluring eyes turning to the miniature bamboo before her.

She gently waved her sleeve, and a gentle breeze carried the potted plant steadily over a distance of more than ten meters, setting it down in the flower bed.

Speaking of which, she had recently learned to manipulate objects, but she didn’t know what level this represented. After all, she hadn’t been to Spirit Treasure Temple in a long time, just fumbling around on her own based on the Human Sect’s mental cultivation methods.

Seventh Rank of the Dao Path—Qi Absorption!

…

The palace was vast—so vast that her aunt was panting and covered in fine sweat by the time she reached Phoenix Roost Palace.

She entered the inner palace easily, with no one stopping her. First, her status and position commanded respect—who in the inner palace would dare offend her? Second, while the inner palace was forbidden to men, it wasn’t to women.

Third, since the Empress’s ascension, the inner palace had become less important.

Though men were still forbidden entry, it had become a retirement home for the imperial consorts.

Just as she reached the entrance of Phoenix Roost Palace, her aunt saw Mu Nan Zhi emerge with hands on her hips, proud and militant like a victorious hen.

“Ling Yue said you came to Phoenix Roost Palace.”

Her aunt went to meet her, asking with concern:

“Nothing went wrong, did it?”

“What could go wrong? Coming here is like returning home. Shang Guan wasn’t my match back then, and still isn’t my match now,” Mu Nan Zhi snorted twice.

She had come to ask the Empress Dowager to cancel the marriage. When the Empress Dowager refused, an overbearing, supremely confident Flower God faced off against an unyielding, immovable Empress Dowager, and they began to argue, trading barbed comments and sarcastic remarks.

In the end, Mu Nan Zhi won.

The Flower God had never lost in a verbal sparring match with women—remove her prayer beads, stand on tiptoe, and she could dominate any woman under heaven.

Adding in the crude language she’d learned while traveling the jianghu, she had thoroughly angered the Empress Dowager.

After speaking, Mu Nan Zhi suddenly realized she’d gotten carried away and let something slip, hurriedly looking at her aunt.

Her aunt sighed in relief:

“That’s good, that’s good. By the way, who is Shang Guan?”

She hadn’t noticed at all… Mu Nan Zhi relaxed, feeling a sense of belated kinship, believing her aunt to be someone she could confide in.

“It’s nothing, let’s go back,” Mu Nan Zhi pulled her aunt along.

The smile gradually faded from her face, replaced by gloom.

Though she had won the argument, she hadn’t achieved her goal—the Empress Dowager hadn’t agreed to cancel the marriage. Of course, she knew that with her status and power, she couldn’t influence the Empress Dowager’s decisions.

Wait until Xu Ning Yan returns… the Flower God made a silent decision. They hadn’t walked far when they encountered Huai Qing in her imperial daily dress, slowly approaching in a grand palanquin.

“Your Majesty!”

Her aunt, being a well-mannered noble lady, hurriedly bowed.

Huai Qing nodded gently with an “mm,” and then gave the Flower God a cold look.

The latter returned it with a roll of her eyes.

They passed each other, and Huai Qing entered Phoenix Roost Palace in her palanquin. Supported by palace maids, she descended, and without requiring announcement from the eunuchs, went straight inside to find the Empress Dowager sitting by her desk with an ashen face, clearly still angry.

“What’s going on with that woman? Wasn’t she supposed to have died in the Northern Border?”

Seeing her daughter arrive, the Empress Dowager demanded loudly.

“Has Mother Empress swallowed gunpowder?”

Huai Qing knew perfectly well but pretended ignorance, saying coolly:

“She didn’t die in the Northern Border. She returned to the capital with Xu Qi An and became his concubine.”

The Empress’s casual words passed final judgment on the Flower God.

Though the Empress Dowager had already guessed this, hearing her daughter confirm it still felt absurd and unbelievable.

Mu Nan Zhi was much younger than her but still seventeen or eighteen years older than Xu Qi An. Yet he kept her as a secret lover—did he have any sense of propriety or shame?

Another reason for Empress Dowager’s resistance was that Mu Nan Zhi had been a consort in Yuan Jing’s palace, of the same generation as herself, while in her eyes, Xu Qi An belonged to her children’s generation.

This was hard to accept.

“So, Mother Empress should cancel the marriage,” Huai Qing revealed her true purpose.

“Why should I cancel it!” the Empress Dowager said coldly:

“Though Xu’s private morals are lacking, since he and Lin An are in love, it’s better than giving her to someone she doesn’t love. Besides, in today’s Great Liang, who is more worthy of Lin An than him?”

Huai Qing’s expression darkened slightly, her tone cooling:

“One might think Lin An was Mother Empress’s daughter.”

The Empress Dowager’s tone was equally cold:

“She is pure-hearted, more likable than you.”

There was also a very simple reason—she hoped lovers could end up together. Just watching made her feel satisfied as if it somehow made up for her regrets from the past.

Huai Qing looked at her, expressionless:

“I may not be pure-hearted, but even though I’m very unhappy right now, I still have something to tell you!”

The Empress Dowager looked at her.

Huai Qing said coolly:

“Yesterday, Guard Commander Wei was resurrected. Before his sacrifice, he had already planned his way back. For five months, Xu Qi An has been working to gather materials, forge magical items, and recall his soul.

“He won’t come see you right away. He said he hopes to come to see you at ease, not like before, burdened with national and personal grievances.”

With that, Huai Qing turned and left.

The Empress Dowager sat motionless by her desk, expressionless as two streams of endless tears silently slid down her cheeks.

…

A massive force of heavy cavalry crossed the Yu Province border, entering Qing Province.

Nan Gong Qian Rou was in no hurry. After ordering the troops to change to Yun Province banners, they advanced south at a measured pace.

Heavy cavalry couldn’t sustain long-distance charges—a steady pace was needed for endurance.

But Nan Gong Qian Rou’s order to reduce speed wasn’t just to preserve the warhorses’ strength—she was waiting for someone.

“General Nan Gong, it’s a long journey to Yun Province. Since we’re moving slowly anyway, why not take the waterways?”

The experienced vice commander spurred his horse to catch up with Nan Gong Qian Rou, riding alongside her.

At the heavy cavalry’s pace, the journey from Qing Province to Yun Province would take at least half a month.

Then another three to five days from Yun Province’s border to White Emperor City.

That wasn’t counting the time needed to capture White Emperor City.

Nan Gong Qian Rou said coolly:

“No rush, we’ll take it slow.”

The vice commander wanted to say more but ultimately chose to trust Nan Gong Qian Rou, to trust Guard Commander Wei.

Nan Gong Qian Rou fell silent, examining their surroundings as they rode. Since entering Qing Province, they hadn’t seen a single soul.

In just five months, the Central Plains had become so desolate and tragic. Even Nan Gong Qian Rou, despite her somewhat cold nature, felt deeply moved.

At noon, the slowly advancing heavy cavalry suddenly noticed a massive shadow falling over them.

Nan Gong Qian Rou looked up, squinting but unalarmed, even showing a slight smile.

The massive wind-riding ship landed before the heavy cavalry. Seven people stood at its railings, one with his back turned to the world.

Nan Gong Qian Rou looked at a certain person’s stern, expressionless face and smiled:

“Long time no see!”

Yang Yan nodded slightly.

The vice commander suddenly understood, slapping his forehead in delight:

“So you were waiting for reinforcements!”

Nan Gong Qian Rou’s lips curved upward:

“Did you think Guard Commander Wei wouldn’t anticipate what you could anticipate?”

Once the heavy cavalry left that abandoned military town and was seen by more than three outsiders, the fate-concealing technique would automatically dissolve. Then, her adoptive father would remember he had left behind a force of heavy cavalry.

With her adoptive father’s wisdom, once he remembered the heavy cavalry, he would fill in and remedy all the gaps in the plan.

Such as the lack of siege weapons, the slow marching speed, and so on.

Having followed Wei Yuan for so many years, Nan Gong Qian Rou had this much confidence in him.

Yang Qian Huan stood with hands behind his back, facing away from the heavy cavalry, saying coolly:

“Ten thousand men will need three trips to transport. We should reach Yun Province by tomorrow evening, but we’re not heading to White Emperor City.”

Nan Gong Qian Rou frowned:

“Not White Emperor City?”

She had learned from Huai Qing’s Captain of the Guards that that lineage from five hundred years ago had declared imperial rule in White Emperor City at the start of winter.

Yang Yan wasn’t one for words. He glanced at Chen Ying beside him, who said with a smile:

“Yun Province can’t have any Transcendent experts, and with their main force marching north to attack Great Liang, even if they left a significant garrison, it won’t be too large. They must have measures against someone cutting off their root of power. So, given Yun Province’s situation, what would those measures be?”

Nan Gong Qian Rou pondered briefly before realizing:

“Hide in the mountains, hold strategic passes, use the terrain—they could resist forces ten times their size.”

She looked at Chen Ying, clicking her tongue:

“You’ve got quite a useful mind, boy.”

Chen Ying grinned:

“It was all in Guard Commander Wei’s silk pouch. I don’t need to think—I just do what Guard Commander Wei says. Wasn’t it the same when we attacked Jing Shan City? We’ve never lost that way.”

He patted the ship’s railing and smiled:

“Yang Qian Huan will locate them, and we’ll use this magical item to drop directly on them, taking the rebel stronghold in one strike.”

Yang Qian Huan followed up:

“Plucking stars from the moon in hand, none in the world compare to me.

“Enough talk, hurry aboard.”

His tone was somewhat urgent, eager to achieve victory and then urge the Hanlin Academy historians to record this campaign in Great Liang’s history books.

He’d even thought of the title:

“Though Xu Was Arrogant, Huan Must End Xu—Yang Qian Huan Ends the Yun Province Rebellion.”

“Xu” could refer to either Xu Ping Feng or Xu Qi An—a double meaning.

…

The next day, in the capital.

At dawn, the cold wind wasn’t as bitter as it had been half a month ago.

The civil and military officials, to drum beats, passed through Wu Gate, crossed the Golden Water Bridge, and took their positions in the court and on the steps according to rank, while the ministers entered the Imperial Hall.

The Empress didn’t keep the ministers waiting long. Soon, wearing dragon robes and an imperial crown, dignified and coldly beautiful, she slowly ascended the throne supported by eunuchs.

After normal court proceedings, Huai Qing narrowed her phoenix eyes, looking at the ministers in the hall, and said:

“Yesterday, I ordered Yang Gong and others to evacuate Yong Province and withdraw to defend the capital. I’ll trouble you all to coordinate the defensive arrangements.”

Her tone was cool and unhurried as if discussing something trivial.

But to the ministers’ ears, it was like a thunderbolt from clear skies.

In an instant, panic and anger nearly overwhelmed them.

They were furious at the Empress’s arbitrary decision-making and stubbornness.

Withdraw to defend the capital?

What if they couldn’t hold the capital?

Just giving away massive Yong Province?

Wasn’t this helping the enemy?

“How can Your Majesty be so foolish?” First Minister Qian Qing Shu was shocked and angry:

“Tens of thousands of soldiers fought with their lives to hold Yong Province, to exhaust the enemy’s elite forces—how can we just hand it over to the rebels?”

“Does Your Majesty wish to repeat the events of five hundred years ago?” The more radical voices spoke harshly.

“Foolish, utterly foolish!” The professional critic, the Supervising Secretary, showed no mercy, berating:

“Does Your Majesty intend to hand over the ancestors’ legacy? How will Your Majesty face the imperial ancestors?”

He nearly burst out with words like “incompetent ruler” and “women are truly unfit to rule.”

The ministers’ extreme reaction was understandable—the enemy was at their doorstep. Previously, when Yun Province’s army was overwhelming Qing Province and then Yong Province, the cultured ministers maintained their composure.

But that was because, whether Qing Province or Yong Province, they hadn’t yet reached the capital.

Now there was nowhere to retreat. If the capital fell, all would be lost—it concerned their interests and survival.

Some were also angry that Huai Qing hadn’t consulted anyone, making such an important decision arbitrarily—bringing disaster to the nation!

“Ministers, please remain calm!”

In the Empress’s clear pool-like eyes, amusement was well hidden. She had concealed this beforehand precisely to make the capital’s officials fight with their backs against the wall—only then could they unite hearts and resources.

Of course, the premise was letting the civil and military officials see hope for victory.

Otherwise, it would be self-destructive.

In the hall, the clamor gradually subsided.

The ministers still wore expressions of anger, fear, or worry. The less enlightened ones had already begun contemplating how best to surrender when the situation became hopeless.

The Empress said coolly:

“I wish to introduce an old friend to you all.”

The words “introduce” and “old friend” were contradictory, confusing the ministers.

The Empress looked toward the Imperial Hall’s great doors and called out loudly:

“Summon Wei Yuan!”

The ministers turned suddenly, seeing a figure in azure robes step over the high threshold in the dark blue sky. His temples were streaked with gray, his eyes carrying the weight of years.

He walked down the long carpet as if traversing a great period, returning once more before the ministers.

This man had returned!