Jing Hengbo was stunned for a moment, thinking for an instant that she had misheard.

Those words really didn’t sound like something that would come from the great god’s mouth…

She stared intently at Gong Yin’s profile, very worried this might be a fake.

Gong Yin’s manner of not looking sideways put her mind at ease – so awkward, it was real. Ordinary people couldn’t learn to act like this.

She muttered, “Sounds so insincere…” and with a “swish” raised her whip. The horse ran a few quick steps, leaving another proud back view for Gong Yin.

Having left Gong Yin’s line of sight, no one saw the faint smile at the corners of her lips.

Hearing such words was truly not easy. Seeing such a smile, in a trance she felt the whole world had brightened.

For a moment her heart felt warm, sour, and melancholy all at once, swelling, being pushed and battered by surging emotions. Her eyes felt a bit hot, so she sniffled and looked up at the sky.

She wanted to curse about men’s nature, yet couldn’t help wanting to laugh. The smile spread halfway before she wanted to sigh again. Perhaps her previous approach had always been wrong. He was too introverted and overthought everything, while she was too passionate and reckless. Her fervor would make him worry more – worry that she couldn’t control herself, worry that she couldn’t restrain herself and would hurt herself, worry that interested parties would see and use it to bring her danger… Introverted people would instinctively refuse and avoid thundering passion, to avoid falling into passivity once deeply involved. Only when she gradually showed composure and ease, showed absolute self-reliance, showed she could live well without him, would he truly feel she was strong enough, resilient enough, capable of facing storms, and only then would he feel the danger he brought was decreasing. And such an indifferent, natural, self-possessed her would have an additional layer of different attraction. At that point, it would be his turn to be unable to resist approaching…

Jing Hengbo chuckled, thinking this conclusion might be right or wrong. She wouldn’t have thought so much before, and she still didn’t want to think so much now. Loving someone was important, but one couldn’t love to the point of losing oneself. As the doubts in her heart gradually cleared, she felt there were more important things to do.

Gong Yin had been watching her all along. Seeing her suddenly turn her head and smile, that smile with slightly upturned eye corners had even more flowing grace. Those eyes were usually full of seductive charm and extremely feminine radiance, but at this moment, within such brilliance, there seemed to be additional unique luminosity – tender, composed, confident, mature. He suddenly felt she was different from before. What was most eye-catching was no longer just beauty – she seemed to change day by day, as if something precious was growing within her daily, adding new radiance each day.

His heart seemed to tremble too, his meridians aching slightly, yet within the pain arose faint pleasure, because this pain had always been born only for her.

Her back figure swayed ahead, creating charming curves.

He unconsciously flicked his riding whip and followed behind.

…

Gong Yin was traveling with the Ge sisters. Coming over just now was only to specially satisfy Jing Hengbo once. He soon separated from Jing Hengbo. The Ge sisters watched the two’s situation from afar and exchanged glances.

The Luoyun ruler had long since led his ministers out of the palace to welcome them, right in front of the palace gate square where Zuoqiu Mo had been blocked by layers earlier. The soldiers had been withdrawn and replaced with full ceremonial guards. Long red carpets were spread out. The queen dismounted before the red carpet, and the ruler and below all bowed together. Many had already heard the news of the queen taking Zuoqiu Mo, and from the corners of their eyes, they secretly observed the queen’s expression, wanting to gauge this destructive tyrannical female ruler’s mindset. However, Jing Hengbo was in a good mood at this time, with spring in her brows and eyes. That joyful, harmonious appearance made everyone’s hearts turn cold – seeing the queen so happy, it must be because she chose Zuoqiu Mo. Who would have thought this hard woman would really catch Her Majesty the Queen’s fancy?

Then they thought that no matter what, this was still a woman. Her Majesty the Queen was being kept in the dark. The happier she was now, the angrier she would be when the truth came out. Thus, the Zuoqiu family was just struggling a bit longer before death.

Thinking this way, everyone’s mood settled greatly. They respectfully withdrew to both sides, escorting Her Majesty the Queen into the palace. Zuoqiu Mo followed behind Jing Hengbo. As she stepped onto the red carpet, she saw those so-called “remonstrating officials” who usually treated the Zuoqiu family with cold looks and harsh words now silent, prostrate on both sides as if they hadn’t seen her, appearing quiet and submissive. She saw the generals who had just been besieging her now respectfully standing far in the outer circle. She saw the palace gates she had desperately tried to break through earlier now wide open before her, and couldn’t help taking a deep breath in her heart.

Only at this moment did she truly understand the dominance of Jing Hengbo’s words: “After mastering absolute power, being able to kill however you want – that’s the heavenly way!”

She understood the true meaning of so-called “power.”

To avoid having one’s life and death controlled by others, to have the power to speak for oneself, one must first master power, or at least closely follow power!

The long red carpet was like rosy clouds, setting off the queen’s graceful back figure. The queen kept her three new “future royal husbands” close by her side, so that even Luoyun ruler Ge Shen had to follow behind Zuoqiu Mo. Ge Shen gazed at the backs of the queen and Zuoqiu Mo ahead, his eyes flickering slightly.

Ge Lian quietly walked to his side, lowering her head. Before speaking, her face already showed a tearful expression.

Ge Shen looked at her with disgust and waved his hand: “Enough, no need for such posturing. I ask you – you sisters voluntarily intercepted Zuoqiu Mo, how did you end up with such a result? But no matter, Zuoqiu Mo is ultimately a woman. As long as we expose her identity, why worry the queen won’t be angry?”

Ge Lian shook her head, stood on tiptoe, and whispered a few words in his ear. Ge Shen was startled: “Really?”

“I don’t know if it’s true, but as long as the queen is willing, then it’s true.” Ge Lian bit her lower lip lightly, looking at Zuoqiu Mo’s back with full hatred. “So even if you expose Zuoqiu Mo’s identity in court, it would be useless. If Her Majesty intends to protect her, what can you do?”

“Things being as they are, the Zuoqiu family absolutely cannot be left alive. Zuoqiu Mo will surely beg the queen to rescue the Zuoqiu family later. Once the queen speaks, should this king agree or not? In that case…” A fierce light flashed in Ge Shen’s eyes. “Those Zuoqiu family members in prison, including Zuoqiu Yunzheng under house arrest in the manor… you know what to do?”

Joy flashed in Ge Lian’s eyes as she immediately lowered her head: “Daughter understands!” After thinking, she added: “I hear the queen is also quite deep in thought and may not fail to think of this. At tonight’s palace banquet, please pay close attention to the queen, Father King. You must please her and make her indulge, leaving no time to care about Zuoqiu family matters. As long as we get through tonight, tomorrow only Zuoqiu Mo will remain of the Zuoqiu family. No matter how capable she is, what waves can she make?”

“That man you invited today,” Ge Shen looked toward Gong Yin, “looks vaguely familiar, but I can’t remember who he is for the moment. Observing his demeanor and bearing, he’s definitely no ordinary person. You must be careful.”

“This person has extraordinary martial arts and deep hostility toward Zuoqiu Mo – definitely not pretense.” Ge Lian smiled charmingly. “Of course, daughter wouldn’t dare fully trust him. Tonight I’ll do my utmost to entertain and serve him well, while also keeping watch. After the Zuoqiu family’s destruction tomorrow, with a little scheming, he will definitely take action.”

Ge Shen nodded with satisfaction, but added: “The Fushui tribe’s second prince lost his future wife and will surely be furious. If you can’t resolve the Zuoqiu Mo matter, you’ll still have to become this second prince’s consort. Think it through clearly.”

Ge Lian lowered her head and said respectfully: “This concerns daughter’s lifetime and Luoyun’s national policy. How dare daughter not do her utmost? Father King, please rest assured.”

Ge Shen nodded and walked away slowly without another glance at her.

Ge Lian stood in place, her long sleeves hanging low, her face wearing the same smile as always, clearly a filial daughter seeing off her father king. Only those sleeves kept trembling slightly.

At some point, Ge Shao had come to stand beside her, watching Ge Shen’s retreating figure and saying coldly: “Uncle is making things difficult for you again?”

Ge Lian said nothing. After a long while, she gave a scornful laugh, her voice sweet and gentle: “Who told me to be born with a ‘demon star eclipsing sun’ fate? It’s natural for the Great King to guard against me.”

“Saying you were born with demonic energy that would surely eclipse the Golden Crow’s light, destabilize the nation’s foundation, and harm the royal family.” Ge Shao sneered. “So guarding against you is one thing, but to endlessly use you while guarding against you, even using your marriage to pave the way for the prince – how is that what a father should do?”

“The royal family is heartless – what’s there to resent?” Ge Lian said quietly. “I just think. Zuoqiu Mo must be feeling the power of authority right now, and she certainly doesn’t know that at this moment, I’m thinking the same thing as her.”

“Hmm?” Ge Shao didn’t understand this statement and frowned.

“Look at the queen. With one word saying she’ll protect Zuoqiu Mo, she can protect her. She says Zuoqiu is her royal husband, and everyone must close their eyes and say Zuoqiu is a man. As fellow women, her words count as words, her life counts as life.” Ge Lian’s gaze was fixed, and as the deep red palace light swept over, her eyes appeared slightly blood-colored, her voice suddenly becoming ethereal and distant. “Compared to such a woman, you and I hardly deserve to be called women. In all the Great Wasteland, the women whose words can be heard are the queen and that female regent of Xiang Kingdom… Shao’er, tell me, when will our words be heard by everyone like theirs…”

Ge Shao turned to look at her sharply, but Ge Lian continued staring straight at Jing Hengbo’s back without blinking. Ge Shao steadied her somewhat uneasy emotions and after a long while said deeply and coldly: “Every man for himself, or heaven and earth will destroy him. Success or failure, right or wrong – only victors write the judgment. Those who know their place should mind their own business; those who don’t – we’ll see!”

…

As the first tribe to be inspected by the queen, the Luoyun tribe showed considerable sincerity in their ceremonial reception of the queen.

The palace’s main hall, Feiyun Hall, had a hundred tables set, brocade carpets on the floor, palace lanterns hanging high, delicacies flowing like water to the tables. Dancing girls’ water sleeves rippled with moonlight and treasure-light. Graceful songs flowed everywhere like the omnipresent colored silk. Hundreds of officials, bowing, stepped on red carpets and came in single file to toast. Each person’s toast was a long speech, each person’s toast was different, and sometimes they would even sing impromptu songs. Jing Hengbo just wanted to get drunk and die quickly.

Of course, the queen’s drinks were naturally handled by her three future “royal husbands.” Si Rongming was a physician – physicians generally didn’t drink heavily. Fang Cheng was a pedantic scholar whose face had been wrong all day and couldn’t drink much. In the end, it was surprisingly Zuoqiu Mo who was heroically cloud-soaring and accepting all comers. Jing Hengbo watched as cup after cup of wine from golden goblets went down. The more Zuoqiu Mo drank, the more sober she became, the more her eyes sparkled like cold stars. Whether venting or showing off, she never showed weakness from start to finish, causing everyone to cheer repeatedly, not knowing if it was real or fake, all saying this royal husband was truly a hero. But Jing Hengbo was thinking she finally didn’t seem like Taishi Lan anymore. Tomboys were good at everything except drinking – definitely cowardly about that.

Jing Hengbo looked up at the long line of people waiting to toast before her. The line was truly spectacular, and even more spectacular was that some people had already gone through the line once and were lining up a second time, as enthusiastic as queuing for meat during three years of hardship. This enthusiasm had exceeded normal bounds. Jing Hengbo chuckled – wasn’t this just wanting to get people drunk so they couldn’t say what they wanted to say?

It seemed the Luoyun ruler and ministers’ alcohol strategy hadn’t achieved the desired effect. The more Zuoqiu Mo drank, the more energetic she became. Finally, taking advantage of the gap when one half-drunk fellow turned around and another hadn’t caught up yet, she turned and was about to walk into the hall.

Jing Hengbo suddenly leaned forward and grabbed her sleeve, smiling: “Sweetheart, where are you going…”

“I want to petition in the hall about my Zuoqiu family…” Before Zuoqiu Mo could finish, Jing Hengbo was already smiling and picking up a wine pot, as if she hadn’t heard her words at all: “Come, come, come, such good wine shouldn’t be wasted. Come, let’s also have a drink.”

“Your Majesty…” Zuoqiu Mo stared at Jing Hengbo blankly. She wanted to explain the Zuoqiu family’s injustice in this hall, explain the two princesses’ conspiracy, petition the queen for justice in court, use this opportunity to force the Luoyun Great King to relent – at least lift her father’s house arrest and release those family generals from prison. Those were all brothers who had followed the Zuoqiu family through life and death and couldn’t die in vain in such power struggles. She believed that as long as the queen spoke, the Luoyun Great King ultimately couldn’t directly refuse. But why wouldn’t the queen let her speak?

“Come, come, come, let’s have a drink…” Jing Hengbo clearly hadn’t been drinking but smiled with drunken, hazy eyes, especially when she saw Gong Yin, who had also entered the hall and was sitting far away near Ge Lian. That smile became even more perfect.

“Your Majesty!” Zuoqiu Mo finally couldn’t help it. Since she wouldn’t be allowed to kneel and petition in the hall, she simply said loudly: “Your Majesty, please allow me to speak – my Zuoqiu family has been wronged…”

“Your Zuoqiu family is indeed a distinguished house, otherwise how could it have raised such a good royal husband as me?” Jing Hengbo again cut off her words, looking at Zuoqiu Mo lustfully and bringing the wine cup to her face. “Come, come, we met by destiny across a thousand li here in Luoyun. Today with Luoyun’s ruler and ministers as witnesses, let’s drink wedding cups right here in the hall!”

Without allowing her to object, the wine cup was already handed over. She enthusiastically threaded her arm through Zuoqiu Mo’s arm. Zuoqiu Mo stared at her stupidly, really not understanding this woman’s thinking. For a moment she just felt disappointed and bit her teeth, saying in a low voice: “Your Majesty, are you afraid to take on this hot potato?”

Jing Hengbo sighed inwardly – this was the bad thing about straightforward people, they couldn’t turn corners.

Smiling, she stood up, swaying unsteadily, half her body leaning on Zuoqiu Mo. With a smile, she brought the wine cup to her lips: “Come, after drinking this wedding cup, I’ll be your confidant…”

Pei Shu, who had been sitting next to her with an iron-blue face all along, suddenly stood up. Jing Hengbo thought he was going to hit someone and was startled, but unexpectedly he picked up a wine cup and casually walked through the crowd of people offering toasts to sit down beside Gong Yin.

Gong Yin had been keeping his head down drinking. When Pei Shu sat beside him, he paid no attention.

Pei Shu didn’t care about his attention either. He raised his wine cup toward Jing Hengbo’s direction and laughed: “State Preceptor, why don’t you look up? There’s a good show over there. Wedding cups!” He bit down especially hard on the last four words.

“Oh?” Gong Yin still didn’t glance over. “Since it’s a good show, why doesn’t the young marshal sit closer to watch properly instead of running over here? Can’t bear to watch?”

“I came to toast you.” Pei Shu actually held his wine cup up to him. Without waiting for his response, he drank it all and then smiled: “At this moment, we’re both abandoned souls at the ends of the earth – how can we not gather together for a drink?”

Gong Yin said blandly: “The young marshal seems to have toasted the wrong person.”

“How could I be wrong?” Pei Shu seemed to finally be in a better mood, grinning broadly: “I know you don’t want to admit it. But you know, those who understand the times are outstanding. Before, I really couldn’t toast you – Her Majesty the Queen was devoted to you alone, I could only drink vinegar. Not to mention you’re still my enemy. But now, no matter how you stubbornly hold on, you have to admit that Her Majesty has finally seen the light, relaxed, and is no longer focused only on you, Gong Yin. Look at those two,” he pointed at Jing Hengbo and Zuoqiu Mo drinking wedding cups, smiling as if his sister had found a good home. “Look, look, even if you’re willfully blind, you have to admit that Bobo really likes that Zuoqiu boy. Tsk tsk, those eyes, that smile, so natural – we’re both experienced, there’s no denying it!” He laughed heartily, poured himself another cup and drank it, then familiarly threw his arm around Gong Yin’s shoulder: “I’m not denying it anymore. You still seem unwilling to admit it? Hahaha, the more you don’t admit it, the better my mood! You know what I’m feeling? At first I was angry, but seeing you also getting the cold shoulder, suddenly I wasn’t angry anymore. I can’t have her, and neither can you. Fair!”

Gong Yin’s shoulder shook as he threw off Pei Shu’s arm, poured himself a cup of wine, and slowly sipped it, saying blandly: “I’m afraid you’re celebrating too early.”

“Hehe, still pretending, still pretending!” Pei Shu gave a cold laugh and smashed his wine cup on the carpet: “Let me tell you honestly – at least at this moment, I’m truly happy! I, Pei Shu, like the queen, but I know in my heart she treats me like a younger brother. Being treated like a younger brother isn’t bad – she’s too lonely, too isolated. The person she loved was too fucking inhuman, didn’t know how to cherish her, treated her like a wooden ox or horse, wanting her when he wanted, escaping when he wanted to escape! Being by her side, at least I could warm her for a while. Now she’s seen the light, isn’t being hurt anymore, really has someone she likes, and that person she likes also likes her – this is the ending she deserves. Just for this, I think we should drink well. Gong Yin,” he stood up swaying and pointed at his nose: “Today I’m laying down this wine and these words. If you have any conscience, truly happy for her, you should also drink – let me tell you one last thing: love means love, not loving means not loving. Being a person, being a man – be straightforward about it.”

He swayed away, constantly sneering coldly, not knowing if from joy or satisfaction.

Gong Yin never looked at him once, nor looked toward Jing Hengbo’s side. He slowly poured himself a cup of wine and drank it.

Fine wine and good liquor now tasted bitter and difficult to swallow.

Only the wind heard his voice at this moment:

“He’s right to curse me. But Hengbo—”

“I don’t need you to know that I’ve always treasured you with my life.”

…

Jing Hengbo had seen the commotion between Pei Shu and Gong Yin over there. She was extremely curious about Pei Shu and Gong Yin drinking with arms around each other’s necks – these two mortal enemies couldn’t possibly be this intimate.

But she still had to get Zuoqiu Mo drunk. If she didn’t plug up this straightforward person’s mouth, there would be no good show to watch. Zuoqiu Mo seemed a bit dizzy from the wedding cup she’d given her and no longer mentioned petitioning in court, going to prop up her head on one side. No matter how good this group’s alcohol tolerance, they couldn’t withstand the Luoyun ministers’ successive enthusiasm. Later, Si Rongming collapsed, and before falling he still grabbed Zuoqiu Mo’s hand and mumbled: “Brother, I’m counting on you – absolutely cannot let the queen drink…” When he fell, he pressed down on Fang Cheng, who had long since passed out under the table. The scholar who could read qi let out a low scream, unconsciously opened his eyes to look around the hall, then quickly closed them, mumbling: “I’ve gone blind today… I must have gone blind today… How can there be so much death energy… impossible… impossible…”

No one listened to his rambling. Over there, Zuoqiu Mo was holding Si Rongming, laughing heartily: “Brother Si, rest assured, absolutely, absolutely won’t let Her Majesty touch a drop of wine…” Just then someone came to offer a toast. She reached out to take it, but before her hand extended, she knocked over the table with a bang and fell onto Jing Hengbo’s skirt.

Jing Hengbo sighed and petted her head like a little dog, saying sadly: “Taishi’s external personality, Jun Ke’s honest heart – what the hell…”

Over there, the half-drunk Luoyun officials also exchanged “Success!” looks with each other.

The Luoyun Great King came to request the royal rest. Jing Hengbo sat up drunkenly and saw a long line of handsome young men waiting respectfully outside the hall. Were they perhaps waiting to serve her?

Just as she was about to express her acceptance in front of Gong Yin, she suddenly saw Ge Lian personally leading the way, accompanying Gong Yin as they left the main hall first through a side door.