Yun gave him a sidelong glance: “What exactly are you thinking?”
Xiao Yan shook his head like a wave drum: “You’re suggesting that Fu Ling Chuan had An’an impersonate Princess Chang Le? That’s impossible!” His tone grew increasingly serious, “For New Xia to inherit the fortune of the original An Xia Kingdom, the most crucial point is that the new sovereign must be of An Xia royal bloodline!”
“Precisely!” The corner of Yun’s mouth curved slightly upward, “And at the founding of the nation, Princess Chang Le’s name would have to be written in the newly established ancestral temple as New Xia’s first ruler. If she were dead, before a new sovereign ascended the throne, no one could appoint Fu Ling Chuan as State Preceptor.”
Xiao Yan’s thoughts were successfully tied into a dead knot: “Then what’s going on? What relationship is there between Princess Chang Le and your An’an?”
Yun fell silent, and only after a good while did he speak softly: “Fu Ling Chuan, Princess Chang Le, and An’an were all at Luo Fu Fishing Village. Princess Chang Le disappeared, and An’an appeared—this itself is unusual.” He looked toward Xiao Yan, “The Queen of New Xia who later went to the Yan capital and caused such a stir—who do you think she was? Princess Chang Le or An’an?”
Xiao Yan opened his mouth but couldn’t answer.
There were too many mysteries to ponder; he felt there must be a fascinating story here. “Hasn’t the Queen of New Xia already returned to An Xia? We could send someone to take a look and see who she is.”
As soon as he spoke, he wanted to slap himself hard.
Sure enough, Yun immediately continued with a smile: “That’s exactly what I was thinking! Speaking of which, I’ve been recuperating for several months and would like to go out for a change of scenery…”
Xiao Yan said with a straight face: “You cannot leave! The country is currently recovering, and we need elemental power to regulate wind and rain.”
“That’s already been taken care of,” Yun stood up and patted his shoulder. “It’s almost been a year since New Xia was established. All countries are sending envoys to offer congratulations. Have you decided who to send?”
This man completely ignored his opinion. Xiao Yan’s face showed his displeasure: “An Xia has been restored—what congratulations should I offer?” To the Wei Kingdom, An Xia was meat already swallowed, now it had grown legs and run away. The Wei people weren’t hunting it down only because the time wasn’t right. They firmly refused to recognize it as an independent country, so how could they offer congratulations?
Yun said leisurely: “At least I should send her some gifts, shouldn’t I?”
Those peach blossom eyes narrowed, revealing deep thought. Where was the previous boredom on the State Preceptor’s face now? Xiao Yan thought, this man had surely set a trap long ago and was waiting for him to fall into it.
“Just decide as you wish.” It wasn’t his concern anyway.
Yun smiled, his perfect teeth gleaming white: “Since it’s a grand gift, it should leave a deep impression.” He was looking forward to the day they would meet again.
Seeing his smile, Xiao Yan secretly shuddered. An’an was truly unfortunate to have such an original master. “Is your health improved?” He had noticed that lately Yun wasn’t coughing much or clutching his chest, and his sickly appearance had diminished considerably.
With the rebellion suppressed, Yun had leisure time. Every day he would remain in bed past noon, living with complete comfort. But with such care, Yun’s health improved day by day, his complexion becoming much rosier, enhancing his elegant and handsome appearance.
Xiao Yan was envious. As the ruler of a nation, he rose earlier than the roosters and slept later than the dogs, not enjoying even a tenth of another’s leisurely freedom!
“It’s passable,” Yun made a sound, “I can handle a few days of travel without issue, but I need to visit Jin Jun City first.”
Xiao Yan could see the eagerness in his smile, like a lion stretching after awakening—though the movement was slow, it still made others tremble with fear.
“That’s right, the date is approaching.” Which also meant, “You won’t be in the capital for the New Year again?”
“Mmm.”
Thousands of li away, in the Wu Sai Er City of New Xia.
Feng Miao Jun shivered as a breeze passed by, bringing with it a faint floral fragrance along with a chilling sensation. The maidservant standing nearby immediately said: “Your Majesty, you should add more clothing.”
She was lying in a hammock in the garden with her eyes closed, pretending to doze. Hearing this, she waved her hand: “Not necessary, you may withdraw.” Her body was impervious to heat and cold; most likely someone was secretly cursing her.
This hammock was far more elaborate than those in the wilderness, with soft cushions and pillows, and covered with a gauze curtain to keep insects away. The maidservant lowered the curtain before withdrawing.
In the local language, Wu Sai Er means “Pearl.” As the meeting place of three rivers, its scenery was exceptional, truly deserving of the beautiful name “Pearl.”
Feng Miao Jun and Fu Ling Chuan had arrived in Wu Sai Er City five days ago. The two crane demons, having received ample spirit stones, were indeed wholehearted in their service. Their wings had nearly been flapped bare as they traveled day and night to deliver their distinguished guests to their destination.
Given their exceptional dedication, Feng Miao Jun warmly invited the two crane demons to stay in New Xia. Sky transportation was very useful—in the past, if Wei Crown Prince Xiao Jing had had one more avian demon to fly him back to the Wei capital, the result of the throne struggle might have been rewritten.
With the abundant water, lush grass, and numerous fish and shrimp here, plus New Xia’s willingness to support them, the two crane demons discussed and happily decided to stay.
Feng Miao Jun was delighted and said with a smile: “You’re most welcome. By the way, what are your names?” They had flown all this way and she still didn’t know the crane demons’ true names, which was somewhat embarrassing.
“I’m called Da Hei.”
“I’m called San Hua.”
Feng Miao Jun and Fu Ling Chuan: “…” Were these names given by their birth mothers?
Feng Miao Jun looked at their snow-white feathers and asked with concern: “Where is the… black?”
Da Hei shook open his wings: “Here.” Indeed, there were two black feathers at the wingtip, completely invisible unless the wings were spread.
…Well, all right. With this experience, she observed San Hua and indeed saw an almost imperceptible yellow spot on its throat.
She didn’t have the heart to say that in her original world, black and white flowers were names for certain dairy cows.
Now the two crane demons were wandering not far from her by the riverside, catching fish and shrimp as snacks while serving as her guards. Avian demons disliked taking human form; these two were only slightly larger than ordinary cranes, and few people could recognize them as demons.
The river breeze was gentle, and she was so comfortable that she was about to fall asleep again when someone approached from a distance, deliberately making heavy footsteps.
Then, Fu Ling Chuan’s voice sounded: “Your Majesty.”
She grunted, not opening her eyes: “Are you going to persuade me to return to Lu Bo City again? I’m not going!”
Fu Ling Chuan coughed dryly: “The Jin Kingdom envoy has arrived.”
“Oh?” Only then did she stretch her arms to prop herself up, “Then let him wait. I need to arrange my hair.”
Behind the gauze curtain, her delicate, beautiful form was half-concealed, half-revealed, her graceful curves inviting imagination; her beautiful hair cascaded down from her shoulders like clouds, exuding a languid charm.
He dared not look too long. He turned to summon maidservants to attend to her, then quickly left.
Wu Sai Er City was originally the summer palace of the An Xia royal family and could also serve as a secondary capital, so its infrastructure was complete. In the months before Feng Miao Jun moved in, weeds had been pulled, flowers planted, and renovations made. Now even its appearance was quite presentable. There was a special hall for receiving important guests, called the Returning Dragon Hall.
When she entered, surrounded by maidservants, the Jin Kingdom envoy was already there having tea. Hearing the sound of her jewelry and smelling her fragrance, he turned his head and was immediately stunned.