At the same time, Emperor Mingxi also seriously reflected on whether he had gotten a bit carried away recently because his purse was full.
No!
Had he been insufficiently respectful towards the Little Immortal Lord?
Good, also no!
Then he was safe!
"No need. For the divine attendant to break through the boundary and come here would consume your divine power. You must not waste your divine power casually. I am still hoping to leave this realm ahead of time and return to Lingxu Mountain!"
The hearts of the Great Yan court officials sank. Not only did their Shao Shi, her, want to leave Great Yan and retreat to the island, but even the Little Immortal Lord, the core of it all, wanted to leave their world!
That simply wouldn't do. Sweat beaded on everyone's foreheads. What could they possibly offer to make the Little Immortal Lord stay in this realm for a few more years?
Someone silently nudged the Yu father and son within the crowd.
Yu Chongshan and the others felt equally uneasy, but who could change their granddaughter's decision once made?
She then asked Wei Ping, "Did Nanzhao and Nanyue have a hand in this?"
Wei Ping replied somewhat hesitantly, "Whether people from Nanyue and Nanzhao were involved still needs to be confirmed after these individuals speak."
He glanced up at Emperor Mingxi before continuing, "However, this official speculates that Xiqiang and Beili would not have acted without pulling those two into it."
She gave a light, disdainful snort. "Strength in numbers, is it? Have these four states formed an alliance? To jointly deal with our Great Yan?"
Emperor Mingxi shook his head. "An alliance is unlikely. It's merely a temporary collaboration regarding your matter."
Yue Fuguang was speechless. Was she really that detestable? That four states could temporarily set aside their conflicts just to kill her.
All she did was claim a piece of unowned land and ask for some cattle and sheep. Was it really that serious?!
The Emperors of the Four States: It absolutely is!
Wei Ping still added, "However, these are all speculations. This official will think of more ways to make those two talk."
Yue Fuguang thought about it. Making them talk... she actually had a method. Thanks to her previous self who wanted to hoard a bit of everything, she not only had Truth Elixirs but also Truth Talismans.
'Little Pearl, do you have any Truth Elixirs?'
[Master, Truth Elixirs are low-grade pills. Little Pearl only has a few.]
'Give me one, to use on those assassins. Quickly, help me think of a reason to take it out.'
The hearts of everyone in the grand hall skipped a beat. Such a... terrifying pill actually existed in the world.
For ordinary people, a Truth Elixir might be one thing, but for those with complex minds, wasn't it precisely terrifying?
Everyone became as silent as cicadas in winter, more afraid than if they had learned of their own miserable demise.
[How about saying it's a sugar pill, to scare those people?]
'That could work?!'
Although it was phrased as a question, Yue Fuguang was a woman of action. She immediately took out something wrapped in cellophane from the small pouch at her waist.
Holding it in her palm for Wei Ping to see, she said, "Lord Wei, would you like to use this to bluff those people?"
Wei Ping immediately assumed a deferential posture, cupping his hands. "What does the Shao Shi mean?"
She weighed the object in her hand. "Dissolve my 'sugar' in water and have those men drink it. Tell them it's poison, and those who don't tell the truth will die. See if fear makes them reveal the facts."
Wei Ping pretended to ponder seriously, putting on a proper show. After a moment, he took the 'sugar' from Yue Fuguang's hand.
"Then this official will try the Shao Shi's method. But this sugar should be sweet, right? I just wonder if they'll believe it."
Yue Fuguang smiled confidently. "Don't worry about that, Lord Wei. This is a sugar for aiding digestion and reducing internal heat. Sweet with a hint of bitterness, and it has a herbal scent."
A gleam flashed in Emperor Mingxi's eyes as he said with a smile, "Fuguang actually has such sugar? Coincidentally, I've been a bit overheated lately, yet I can't stand bitterness. Could you spare one of those sugars for me?"
The lords in the hall stiffened, their backs bending even lower unconsciously. If His Majesty really got his hands on a Truth Elixir, who among them might end up unfortunate!
[Master, why not give the emperor one? See what truths he'd spill after taking it, haha! You could ask him which consort he likes best, which son?
If the Empress Dowager and the Empress fell into the river at the same time, who would he save first?]
Emperor Mingxi's face darkened. What kind of devilish questions were these from the Divine Artifact? Which consort or son he liked best—was that something to be said aloud?
And how could the Empress Dowager and the Empress possibly fall into the river at the same time? Did the people serving them not want to live?
'That won't do. Your stock of that elixir isn't plentiful. We can't waste it on such trivial matters.
As for your questions, I can answer them without the elixir. The emperor's favorite consort is definitely Zhou Yunxin. His favorite son isn't it the Ninth Prince?
The emperor rules the world with filial piety, so of course he'd save the Empress Dowager first!~'
Emperor Mingxi: I originally wanted to seize an opportunity for some gain. Not only did I fail to trick the item, but I got dragged out for another round of criticism. Miscalculation! Feeling wronged but dare not speak up JPG.
[Wasn't Zhou Yunxin demoted all the way to a Beauty? And she's still the favorite consort? And about the sons, isn't the emperor's favorite the Crown Prince?]
'The deeper the love, the stricter the discipline, right? Zhou Yunxin might be promoted back any day. As for the Crown Prince, where does the emperor seem to favor him most?
As for making him Crown Prince, wasn't that because he's the legitimate eldest son? Not out of affection!'
Yue Fuguang's words stabbed, one after another, into the father and son, both on their persons and in their hearts. The Crown Prince was alright; after learning the cause of his death, he had long since come to terms.
Emperor Mingxi, however, cast a somewhat apologetic glance towards the Crown Prince. Seeing him merely slightly bow his head, expressionless and lost in thought, the emperor's embarrassment deepened.
And that 'the deeper the love, the stricter the discipline'—was that phrase even used in this context? A national Shao Shi couldn't be uncultured; this ancestor must be sent to school.
Unaware of Emperor Mingxi's 'sinister' intention, Yue Fuguang asked with a smile, "Is Your Majesty also suffering from internal heat?"
"Indeed. State affairs are burdensome. The snow disaster hasn't been fully handled yet, and reports of distressed commoners causing trouble are coming from the affected prefectures and counties.
The offending Zhou, Fan, Zhao, and Bai families will soon be escorted to the capital, and trying their cases will keep us busy for a while."
'Little Pearl, give me a Clarity Pill. The emperor can't have the Truth Elixir, so give him a Clarity Pill. One dose clears the mind and refreshes the spirit.
Maybe it can even cure some of his foolishness!'
[Master, one full pill would cause the emperor to explode from the spiritual energy impact, shattered into pieces!]
Emperor Mingxi was so frightened he couldn't help but tremble slightly in his dragon throne, not even having time to be angry at Yue Fuguang calling him foolish.
Shattered into pieces! The very thought sent chills through his body, aching everywhere. If he weren't sitting, he'd likely make a spectacle of himself now!
Emperor Mingxi's backside shifted unconsciously on the somewhat hard chair, suddenly finding every position uncomfortable.
His expression changed several times, while inwardly he was shouting, I don't want it anymore, alright? I don't want it!
He looked up towards the only one who could save him, Yu Chongshan. Yu Chongshan was also terrified at this moment, afraid his granddaughter would take out the pill and demand His Majesty take it on the spot. Wouldn't that be...
Just as this thought crossed his mind, he caught the emperor's pleading gaze. His foot had barely taken half a step when he heard his dear granddaughter say to the Divine Artifact, 'Couldn't you take a pill the size of a soybean, coat it in chocolate, make it fragrant and sweet...'
Master, we cannot coat it in chocolate. What if the Emperor has an allergy? Even if he isn't allergic, what if he finds it delicious and demands more from you?
I'll coat it in mystery-flavor candy instead. Whether it tastes sweet, spicy, sour, bitter, or salty will all depend on his luck.
