Phoenix Astonishes the World 055 Enters the Wang Estate

  The silver makeup wraps the world in a single color, and the big snow is still flying around.

  The luxurious sedan chair had almost reached halfway up the sky, and was now slowly emerging from the palace gate, heading in the direction of Prince Huai's mansion.

  In the snowy landscape, under the canopy of a phoenix-ornamented sedan chair, with dark golden silk curtains lightly fluttering, and crystal beaded curtains hanging down, inside the sedan chair sat one person. Through the silk curtains and crystal curtains, that person's raven-black long hair could still be seen, as well as the enchanting red brocade cloak and white fox-fur trimmed edge.

  Yu Zhu Yu Cui looked at the princess sitting in the sedan chair, feeling as if she was dreaming and it wasn't real.

  Just now at the imperial banquet, His Majesty personally acknowledged in front of all the officials and nobles that even if the princess is the Princess of Worry-Free County, she is still the most noble Central Palace Princess of the Great Yuan Kingdom.

  The Princess's Worry-Free Palace is also officially unsealed today.

  At this moment, walking outside the vast palace gate, looking at the palace servants crawling on the ground around them, both of them were so moved that they wanted to cry, but they both held back their tears, because the princess had said, do not be happy with external things, and do not be sad for personal reasons.

  But, Your Majesty, if you have a spirit in heaven, will you be at peace and no longer worried?

  Standing on the high palace steps, gazing out at the luxurious procession that had already exited the palace gates, Third Prince Yuan Zhong's mouth curled up into a faint smile. Things seemed to be getting more and more interesting. He wondered whether the person sitting in that sedan chair was truly clever or just pretending to be.

  The main gate of the royal palace was wide open, with a thick layer of snow covering the bright red carpet that stretched all the way to the foot of the steps. The vibrant red and pure white colors complemented each other perfectly, making both colors dazzlingly eye-catching.

  Xiao Lizi led a group of eunuchs and attendants to kneel down on the steps to welcome her. Although he already knew about Princess Wuyou's abilities, when he saw the luxurious procession approaching, he was still stunned.

  It is often said that prosperity will eventually decline, but no one has ever said that decline will lead to prosperity. However, Princess Worry-Free achieved it.

  She... created an unbelievable legend.

  "This humble servant greets Your Highness, may you live for a thousand years, a thousand years, and a thousand thousand years!"

  The eunuchs quickly moved the sedan chair to one side, Yu Zhu and Yu Cui stepped forward to lift the curtain, and Yuan Wuyou got out.

  Her long hair fluttered, red brocade fluttering in the wind, her absolutely beautiful face was as clear and elegant as a painting. She raised her head to look at the three big words "Hua Wang Fu" and smiled: "Once you enter the gate of Hua Wang Fu, this princess is already the county master, no need for grand courtesy, everyone get up!"

  Xiao Lizi bowed his head respectfully: "Yes, Princess, the king has been waiting for a long time."

  One step at a time, Yuan Wuyou slowly made her way up, from the Worry-Free Palace to the Desolate Cold Palace, and then from the Desolate Cold Palace to here. She had been waiting in this world for five years before finally getting a new beginning.

  She will take one step at a time, achieving what she wants, with her head held high and being carefree.

  The royal palace of Prince Huai was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, but it still could not conceal its inherent coldness and desolation.

  In the hall, King Hui sat half on the couch, with thick brocade covering his knees, narrowing his eyes to look at the person walking step by step towards him from outside amidst the voices of the slaves greeting 'Greetings, Your Highness'.

  Before today, she was his niece; after today, she is his daughter.

  He's twenty-one and from today he has a twelve-year-old daughter!

  He was also very curious about what his little niece, who had shocked him with her wit, strategy and means, could bring to his life.

  Perhaps just as she said, no matter what the outcome is, the process has been worthwhile.

  He looked forward to the day when his ruthless and unfeeling ninth brother would show a shocked, unbelievable, and even regretful expression!

  Yu Wu looked at King Huai sitting in the main seat. Under his gaze, her long hair poured onto the ground as she made a deep bow: "Wu Yu pays respects to Your Majesty."

  In an instant, King Hui thought he saw a beautiful black lotus blooming in front of his eyes.

  Legend has it that Pangu opened the sky and earth, and the chaotic Qinglian was destroyed and split into four lotus seeds. One of them is the doomsday black lotus.

  Sitting upright on the lotus platform, nothing can be broken!

  Four lotus seeds transformed into four lotus flowers: Merit Golden Lotus, Karma Fire Red Lotus, Destruction Black Lotus, and Purification White Lotus.

  Except for Ye Huo Honglian who was obtained by Minghe Jiao Zu, Gongde Jinlian and Jing Shi Bailian were both collected by Daojiao Zhong Xian Bi Zu Hongyuan Laozu.

  Only the Apocalypse Black Lotus that can absorb the aura of destruction and devastation has gone missing.

  The king's low laughter echoed out, Destroying the world black lotus... Cough... Cough cough... Isn't that the will of heaven?

  "Your Highness." Little Li saw that the king suddenly burst out laughing and also started coughing, anxiously stepping forward to help him catch his breath.

  Yu Wu You looked at the calmed-down Huai Wang, whose condition was more severe than she had imagined, but what did it matter? Hadn't she also wandered countless times at the Ghost Gate Pass?

  Life is always stronger and more resilient than you think it is.

  The king finally felt relieved, and he waved his hand to dismiss Xiao Lizi. He quietly gazed at Yuan Wuyou, who was like a black lotus blooming before him. A faint smile appeared on his face: "Get up, time is pressing. Xiao Lizi only hastily tidied up one of the side rooms for you. Go take a look and if there's anything lacking or needed, just instruct Xiao Lizi directly."

  Yu Wu You smiled lightly: "Yes, I know."

  The king coughed lightly: "Little Li, go and instruct the kitchen, today is New Year's Eve, it's the first year that I and the princess are spending together, we must celebrate well."

  "Your Highness, I've already given the orders." Little Li said respectfully, then thought for a moment and added: "Your Highness, should we invite Young Master to join us at the manor for New Year's?"

  The king of Huai remained silent for a moment before speaking: "Please!"

  "Yes, let me help you back..."

  "Li Gonggong, Father will be giving me to you to take care of, you can go and attend to your duties." Yuan Wuyou said with a smile.

  Xiao Li was taken aback: "This..."

  The pale face of King Huai had some fatigue, and he weakly waved his hand.

  Xiao Li bowed and backed away.

  Worry-free walked over and helped him adjust the silk fabric that was sliding up and down on his knees, then sat down in the chair beside him, leaning her head to one side and gazing at him.

  The king's mouth slightly hooked: "What is Wuyou thinking?"

  "Guess!"

  "Guess when I will die?"

  Yu Wu You Xiao: "Then, when did Father King die?"

  The king smiled and shook his head: "I don't know, maybe tomorrow, or maybe a very long time."

  "Are you afraid of death?" A careless voice.

  "If it weren't for fear of dying and wasting this life, how could he have endured such a hard life until now?"

  Yu Wuyou smiled lightly: "Then he must live for a very, very long time."

  King Huai raised an eyebrow: "Why?"

  "It's very simple, only those who are afraid of death want to live." Just like how she had struggled so hard to survive in the past was because she was afraid of death, which is why she could repeatedly pass through the gates of hell.

  "Hmm... Hehe... Cough... Hehehe... Are you afraid of death?"

  "It doesn't matter." But she was afraid of being born again.

  The king smiled again, and his pale face radiated a hint of brilliance as he smiled. He was right, with her joining him, his life would never be lonely again.

  Two people were chatting and laughing, but in the capital city, because of these two people, the situation became complicated and mysterious.

  New Year's Eve, a joyful and festive day, with heavy snowfall, inside the Lin family's Bamboo Pavilion, wine is being brewed on the stone table, filling the air with fragrance.

  Inside the canopy, however, two figures could be seen. Apart from Lin Weiting personally brewing wine, there was also a youth who looked about seventeen or eighteen years old.

  Wearing a white satin robe, jet-black long hair, a face that is both elegant and refined, with features that are both beautiful and handsome, sitting quietly there, with a calm and serene expression.

  Son, you give people a refined and calm feeling, but inexplicably make them dare not look directly at you.

  There seems to be an inexplicable atmosphere!

  Because of the intangible aura emanating from him, he and Lin Weiting's charming and seductive appearance complemented each other perfectly, without being outdone in the slightest, but instead blending together to create an even more powerful presence.

  She handed him the wine and sat down across from him, taking a small sip before smiling softly and saying, "Such an interesting thing, you really aren't interested at all?"

  The young man stood up, put his hands behind his back and gazed at the bamboo forest covered with snow, saying faintly: "Not interested."

  Lin Wei Tang smiled lazily: "Still, there's a thread of interest, isn't there, flawless younger brother? Not to mention anything else, just the name Yu Wu You alone should make you want to go see the excitement. Don't you want to take a look at that Princess Yu Wu who fell into the mud and then climbed back up to the top, changing her own fate?"

  "Looks like you've been having a rather dull time in the capital these past few years!"

  Lin Weiting smiled and played with the bamboo flute in his hand: "It's not easy to come across something interesting, of course I'm very interested."

  The smile on Wen Wuxie's face was full of playful meaning: "Since Brother Biao is so interested, if I decline again wouldn't that be impolite? But are you certain that the Wangfu will definitely open the Long Gate?"

  "Does your nephew want to gamble?" Lin Weiting raised an eyebrow, with a hint of teasing in her eyes.

  Wen Wu Xiao smiled slightly: "I bet it won't."

  Lin Weitan's playful glint in his eyes faded a bit, but the smile at the corner of his mouth became even more pronounced: "In that case, let's make a bet. What will you bet on, cousin?"

  Wen Wuxiao smiled lightly: "I still remember the last time my brother-in-law dressed up as a woman, but it was just a fleeting glance and I didn't get a good look. I think in three to five months, it should be about right."

  Lin Weiting's face changed slightly, but she quickly smiled brightly: "Alright, if I lose, I'll be a woman for another three months. If you lose, I want the Xuanji Pavilion."

  Facing Lin Weitan's lion with its mouth wide open, Wen Wumo's smile deepened: "So Brother-in-law has taken a liking to my Xuanji Pavilion."

  Lin Weitan smiled faintly: "One sentence, bet or not?"

  "Big Brother is so enthusiastic, how could I dare to spoil the fun!"

  ……

  Banpo Garden, Liao Qingyun looked at Gu Ling who came to bid farewell, her eyebrows moved: "Brother Gu is moving back to Huai Wang Fu."

  Gu Ling looked out at the dusk outside the window and smiled: "On New Year's Eve, it's really inconvenient to disturb the mansion."

  Liao Qingyun picked up the wine cup on the table and turned it lightly, smiling: "Brother Gu, it seems that you won't be able to return to Far West for a while."

  "Yes, it's unlikely we'll be able to return for a while."

  Liao Qingyun stared silently at the wine cup in his hand and suddenly said, "Has Brother Gu ever suspected anything?"

  Gu Ling turned back: "Suspecting what?"

  Liao Qingyun lowered her eyes, smiled slightly, and said: "Nothing, let's go, I'll see off Brother Gu." The doubts in her heart couldn't even convince herself, how could she convince others?

  Gu Ling's expression was slightly subdued, but in his heart, he felt a little stunned. Subconsciously, was he not willing to face it at all?

  ……

  "Your Highness, the young master has arrived." Little Li Zi excitedly said to Prince Wang who was sitting in the main seat. This is still the first time for Prince Wang's mansion to celebrate the New Year. Every year at this time, the prince would be lying on his bed, but this year not only did he get out of bed, but also had people accompanying him to celebrate the New Year, including Gu Gongzi and Wu You Gongzhu.

  The king put down the book in his hand and was surprised to find that the lamps had already been lit in the hall, and dusk had fallen in the courtyard.

  "What time is it?"

  "Reporting to Your Highness, it's one o'clock in the afternoon." This was still the first time that His Highness had sat for so long in the main hall.

  Gu Ling walked in and looked at Prince Huai sitting on the main seat holding a book, his eyes flashing slightly as he stepped forward to pay respects: "Elder brother."

  The king put down the book in his hand: "Sit, isn't it true that the New Year's celebration in the capital is much more lively than here?"

  Gu Ling lowered her eyes and said, "Indeed, it's not as good as Yuan Xi."

  "In my opinion, New Year's Day is no different from any other ordinary day, it's just the end of one year and the beginning of another."

  Gu Ling raised his head, looked deeply at Prince Huai and said: "Brother-in-law living alone would naturally not feel lively, now...now with the company of Princess Wu You, it will no longer be desolate."

  The king smiled: "This is also true, suddenly feeling that the mansion seems to have some vitality."

  "Brother, please forgive my impertinence. I really can't understand why Auntie wants to do this?" If she's worried about Brother being lonely, Auntie could have simply petitioned the Emperor to arrange a marriage or take in concubines for him.

  The smile on Wang's face faded away.

  Gu Ling lowered her eyes and continued: "I know that Auntie didn't leave the palace because she had no choice, but there's also no need to hand over the golden plaque bestowed by the late Emperor to..."

  The king interrupted Gu Ling's words faintly: "Gu Ling, from today on, Wu You is the king's daughter."

  Gu Ling was stunned for a moment before saying in a low voice, "I, Gu Ling, have misspoken." Some things can't be hidden once they're probed, and he couldn't avoid facing them either.

  The lights in the hall were all turned on, and the dusk in the courtyard was getting thicker.

  Xiao Shenz walked into the hall and asked: "Your Highness, the dishes in the kitchen are all ready, shall we start the banquet?"

  "Little Li, go invite the princess."

  "Has Wuyou arrived late?" A soft and gentle voice came from outside the courtyard.

  Gu Ling raised her head, and her heart suddenly skipped a few beats. She stared blankly at the person walking towards her with a smile, clad in a shallow red embroidered golden phoenix long gown that fluttered as they moved. The three thousand strands of black hair were still scattered, only slightly dampened, and the hazy beauty of her wet hair blended with her own absolute beauty, making people feel like they were dreaming.

  The king looked at her and said in a light tone: "Why didn't you wait for your hair to dry before coming out? The cold air outside is heavy."

  Yu Wu You walked over to him, sat down in the chair beside him, and replied to his words with a carefree attitude, while also sizing up Gu Ling: "Hm, I was originally going to wait until it was completely dry before coming out, but seeing that the sky is getting late, I'm afraid Father would be waiting alone here for too long."

  The king looked at her measuring gaze and smiled slightly: "He is Gu Ling, the cousin of my father, according to generation, you should call him uncle."

  Gu Ling was taken aback, her eyes involuntarily looking at the person leaning against the railing with his chin in his hand, suppressing the urge to reach out and touch her chest, feeling a sense of uncertainty, wondering if the person in front of her was really the same person she saw at the palace banquet today.

  In the palace, he saw a somewhat cold and detached yet intelligent and elegant princess, but at this moment, what he saw was a quiet and peaceful, carefree and naive little girl who seemed to be unaware of worldly affairs.

  Such a young girl, he couldn't associate her with the ruthless and cunning murderer in his mind.

  Worry-free turned his head to look at Huai Wang, smiling and saying: "There's a nine-year-old father king who doesn't matter, anyway, he's not called the father king. I have to call him tenth uncle Wang. It's just that this Mr. Gu, even if I don't need to directly call him uncle, I still feel like I'm at a disadvantage. What to do?"

  The king let out a light cough, and his indifferent eyes were tinged with a hint of a smile: "What about Wu You?"

  Carefree gaze swept towards Gu Ling, and asked seriously: "What does Young Master Gu think?"

  Gu Ling smiled faintly: "The young lady is joking, it's fine to just call me Gu Ling." They already called him Young Master Gu, yet she still innocently asked for his opinion? Such a pure and warm little girl couldn't possibly be cold-blooded and ruthless. He thought that he and Qing Yun might have become overly suspicious of each other.

  The king looked at the scene in front of him, and his heart suddenly felt a sense of expectation. Letting such a peerless calamity loose on the world was the greatest pride of his life, and also the pride of being a father.

  ……

  Shengyang Palace, the imperial study, Emperor Qing holds a chess piece in deep thought. Shi Ji walks into the inner palace, followed by two dusty figures, a middle-aged man and a young boy, both with their heads down, their faces obscured from view.

  "I will see you later, Your Majesty."

  The emperor waved his hand casually, and the two of them stood up respectfully beside him.

  The emperor furrowed his brow and concentrated for a long time, with the chess pieces in his hand wandering around.

  "What does Xiaoyu think is the next step?" Emperor Qing suddenly said.

  The young man bowed his head respectfully and said: "I think it's better not to attack again, defending is the best way to ensure complete victory."

  "By defending as attacking, it's indeed more beneficial than actively attacking, but will defending as attacking nurture a tiger to become a threat?"

  The young man bowed his head and said: "I think the enemy is trying to create a false impression of a strong attack, but in fact it's just an empty city tactic."

  The chess piece in Qingdi's hand returned to its original position, and only then did he raise his head to look at the two of them: "Then, in your opinion, what kind of enemy is this?"

  The young man finally lifted his head, with calm features, but a pair of beautiful yet cold eyes, which made people feel chilled to the bone.

  "I think this enemy is skilled in strategy and good at attacking people's hearts. Most importantly, this person has a thorough understanding of the Emperor, clearly having come prepared."

  Qing Di's mouth hooked slightly: "Does Xiao Yu have confidence in dealing with this person?"

  The young man's eyes lit up: "I have confidence, please Your Majesty issue an edict."

  "Go ahead and stay in the capital."

  "Yes, I shall withdraw."

  In the study, only Qing Emperor and the middle-aged man were left. The middle-aged man looked at the young boy who had retreated, then raised his head to look at Qing Emperor: "Your Majesty wants to leave Xiao Yu in the capital?"

  Emperor Xing sat down in front of the desk, and on it was a military map: "The border is temporarily stable, and Xiao Yu staying in the capital is also unguarded." He had always suspected that the previous emperor still had something important that he hadn't handed over to him. For so many years, that person had been hiding without making any waves, and now that he had made his move, even if he couldn't retrieve the thing, he wanted to destroy it to satisfy himself.

  "It will be understood later." The Emperor actually called back Xiao Yu, who was stationed at the border fortress, it seems that the Emperor attaches great importance to this matter.