The First Evil Spirit

  "Are you ill? I suppose you can't see people then? I've heard that only women from rural areas like to cover themselves up." The queen replied coldly. As she spoke, a hint of a cold smile appeared on her lips, "A woman who is not ill yet wants to cover her face, who knows if she's worthy of being seen?"

  In an instant, the noblewomen beside her all smiled lightly with pursed lips.

  Su Mo could feel that people on both sides were sizing her up and ridiculing her.

  The woman next to her couldn't help but discuss it, "Oh dear, is the new wife of the fifth prince really a saltless girl? This is truly pitiful!"

  Someone curled their lip: "Girls, no matter how ugly they are, won't cover themselves up when meeting elders. There must be a big problem here."

  Someone covered his mouth and said: "I said it, now most women with good figures can't be seen by people!"

  However, Su Mo's eyes rolled over and she wasn't angry in her heart. She slowly stretched out her hand to tuck away a stray strand of hair by her ear and sighed softly: "You're all right, I really can't be seen by people."

  At that moment, the other noblewomen were stunned, not expecting that their whispers had been overheard by the opponent. They felt a bit embarrassed and couldn't believe their eyes as they stared at her, and the woman in front of them actually admitted with her own mouth that she was already a person who could not be seen, which was really strange.

  The queen's gaze was stern, her eyebrows still furrowed in anger, and her tone remained sharp as she said: "I heard that Ren Yikai is the fifth prince of our Qi state, how can he marry a woman who cannot be seen by others?"

  Unexpectedly, this old witch was still so majestic and dignified, surpassing all her previous encounters.

  Then, Su Mo looked at her deeply, but smiled freely and elegantly, "Your Majesty the Empress, actually I covered my face because of Fang Furen's reason. Firstly, Fang Furen is weak and fragile, and I have already caught a cold, but I couldn't let her suffer from it. Secondly, Fang Furen is an extremely beautiful woman, unparalleled in beauty, and as her daughter-in-law, I really feel ashamed. Moreover, there are not many women in this world who can compare to Fang Furen, and she repeatedly reminded me not to lose face for her today, personally preparing the wedding dress she wore back then for me. So I covered my face, lest people think that I'm trying to imitate her."

  She smiled softly and spoke with a watertight tone.

  As she listened, the queen's temples throbbed violently and the muscles in her cheeks twitched involuntarily.

  Mrs. Fang had always been a thorn in her heart, and the other's words were like inserting that thorn several more inches.

  Although Emperor Qi disliked this new empress, when he heard her repeatedly praising Empress Fang, his expression slightly improved.

  Hear Wen Yi salute Emperor Qi with one ritual, he is the commander-in-chief of Donglingwei, the former emperor once gave some special privileges to the head of Donglingwei, can not kneel.

  Su Mo just slightly bowed his head, after all this was not a formal occasion, no need for three kneels and nine knocks, otherwise so many guests would have to bow for more than ten hours.

  "Why don't you kneel?" The empress continued to look at her coldly, without asking for her surname.

  If it were an ordinary woman under her pressure, she would have turned pale and knelt on the ground, trembling with fear.

  Su Mo replied calmly: "I am not a citizen of Qi State, so I won't kowtow."

  Qidi's eyes were cold and staring at Su Mo, revealing a hint of dissatisfaction, with the intention to pick on him. For some reason, when he saw Su Mo's enchanting and charming posture, he couldn't say anything wrong about it.

  Seeing Emperor Qi's gaze fixed on her figure, the Empress said indifferently: "Your meaning is that after marrying Wen Renyao, you are not following the chicken and following the dog, so you can't be considered a person of the Qi state? It also doesn't count as husband and wife?"

  Under Su Mo's long eyelashes, those beautiful and mysterious eyes sparkled with a smile as she replied softly: "Not really, it's just that we're newlyweds and our household registration hasn't been changed yet."

  Look at her expression, this attitude, calm and composed, neither arrogant nor humble.

  The queen gave a cold hum, looked at Wen Renyi with one eye, "Fifth prince, your wife is really capable, she actually understands the law."

  Wen Renyi said displeasedly, "I married the woman I love, didn't that go against the law?"

  The queen said coldly, "Hear the person Yi, this matter is closely related to the face of the royal family. The descendants of the imperial clan have always been considered for the overall situation. From start to finish, I am doing it for everyone's good. Of course, we should marry the woman who should be married and cannot divorce the woman who should not be divorced."

  Wei Renyao said: "A wife who is not virtuous will not be divorced, she may be incompetent, but I will always accompany her."

  The queen did not scold her, but instead let out a soft sigh. "What a good wife who doesn't leave the hall, I didn't expect that the descendants of the Wen family would also have deep feelings."

  She gave Zidi a look, with a hint of meaning, this infatuated man was much better than those men who steal other people's wives!

  At this moment, Emperor Qi's face sank slightly.

  "The queen said: 'Alright, the banquet has already started for a long time. In that case, you two go and sit at your seats!'"

  At this time, the eunuch shouted in a shrill and delicate voice: "The emperor has an order, all princes come to the west seat, there is something to discuss, women go to the east seat and sit down." This command forcibly separated Su Mo from Wen Renyi.

  Wen Ren Yi glanced at Su Mo and asked, "Can you handle it alone?"

  Su Mo smiled faintly, "It doesn't matter."

  Inside the garden, winding streams flow gently, green trees provide shade, and flowers and grasses are fragrant.

  Su Mo arrived at the banquet, surrounded by women who were chatting happily. No one paid attention to her or offered her a seat, but she had nowhere to sit. The people around her deliberately glanced at her out of the corner of their eyes, purely to see how she would awkwardly respond alone.

  At this time, Su Mo couldn't help but smile, and swept a glance at the crowd, it seemed that everyone had intentionally cold-shouldered her.

  Su Mo sat under a tree, slowly straightening his waist and back, leisurely looking at the crowd in the field.

  What impertinence! The others immediately burst out laughing. A eunuch, who was in charge of the general management, stepped forward and glared at her, scolding: "How dare you sit under the tree?"

  It's as if Su Mo is sitting under a tree and losing face for the palace.

  "So where do you think I should sit? On the table or in the middle of the imperial garden?" Su Mo lowered her eyelids, and behind her back, the sound of water was long and the sound of the qin was distant. She smiled and said: "I just didn't expect that the inner courtyard of the Qi Kingdom's palace would indeed be crowded with people, every seat taken, and there is another way to treat guests. Under this tree, however, there is a unique charm. Sitting here is also extremely comfortable."

  She spoke with elegance and poise, her demeanor was calm and composed.

  However, it is clear from his words that he was rebuking the people in the palace for their discourtesy and lack of knowledge on how to treat guests.

  The eunuch in charge immediately gritted his teeth and said: "Prepare a bed for her."

  The palace maid replied with a "yes".

  Only the palace maidens quickly placed the couch in the lowest and most humble place. The seating arrangement in the palace was quite particular, with the eastern seat, western seat, southern seat, and northern seat each occupied by high-ranking officials, members of the imperial family, guests, and womenfolk. Behind the seats stood rows of palace maidens and eunuchs serving the crowd, and it was among these lower-ranking attendants that the palace maidens had placed her couch.

  The palace maid gave Su Mo a cold glance and ordered: "Sit down."

  However, Su Mo did not go to sit down.

  She didn't leave, instead lazily leaning against the tree, casually curling up her legs. Her black eyes shone with a calm and composed demeanor, every move exuding an elegant posture.

  At this time a man in blue clothes came over, but saw him take off his outer shirt and lay it in front of Su Mo, then sat down lazily beside her.

  "Ah, you're here too." Yu Ran glanced at her sideways with a smile on his lips, "Are you happy?"

  "I'm not your darling." Su Mo also gave him a sideways glance.

  "You shouldn't be so heartless, we know each other here, don't you think we should be together?" But he got up and brought over a golden-rimmed crystal plate, filled with cheese, a jade porcelain bowl of honeyed yogurt, and several mixed fruit dishes. He then brought over two high-stemmed crystal glasses, and a wooden barrel containing a refined grape wine.

  "Are you going to drink with me here?"

  "Not bad, but if you don't drink alcohol, I've prepared some fruit for you." Yu Ran was indeed meticulous in every detail.

  But all the princes were very interested in Wen Renyi's new wife, their eyes gazing deeply at her. The third prince took a look and felt that the woman opposite him was quite familiar.

  "Isn't she the new wife of the Fifth Prince? How can she be with that young master?"

  Someone said: "You haven't seen him, have you? He's the dyer young master of Jinyutang."

  Someone said: "It turned out to be Dye Young Master, really a talented and handsome young man!"

  The queen coldly smiled and looked at Wen Renyi: "Fifth prince, how is your woman together with the people from Jinyutang?"

  What she meant was that this woman is already married, so why isn't she following the proper path of a wife?

  Although Wen Renyi was unhappy in his heart, he said expressionlessly: "Yu Ran is my cousin, of course we can sit together and take care of him."

  "Who would have thought that Yu Ran is actually the fifth prince's cousin?" Someone's gaze towards Wen Renyi became even more inquisitive.

  "I've heard that everyone inside Jinyutang is a handsome man or beautiful woman. Since Yu Ran Gongzi is sitting there, this woman must not be ugly either."

  After that, the princes chatted with each other, and as usual, men liked to talk about money and power. However, in this special occasion, they could only pretend to be friendly and gradually turned their conversation to women. The current emperor had already arranged marriages for these princes, each of them having a noblewoman as his wife. Unfortunately, such parental orders and imperial decrees were all related to the interests of the royal family, so it was hard to say how the women they married would turn out. It was like drinking water - only the individual could know whether it was cold or warm, and each had their own account in mind.

  If they can't stand each other, they can't help but make a few contemptuous remarks about the opposing royal concubine.

  This made everyone even more displeased in their hearts. However, whenever anyone mentioned the current fiancée of the Third Prince, they all couldn't help but feel envious.

  Everyone was eating and drinking while their eyes were fixed on the stage set up in the center of Yu Hua Garden, where the people from Jin Yu Tang performed a scene from "Drunken Fist Strikes Gold".

  That woman was beautiful and stunning, one of the best-looking women in the Golden Jade Hall.

  Su Mo sat there motionless, casually sweeping his gaze around, and saw that every man and woman present was staring at him with infatuated eyes.

  The plays of Jin Yu Tang were always a favorite among the nobles at any time.

  Finally, many people mistakenly thought that the woman was the victorious Ding family's seductress, and they all praised her to no end.

  Then, many future queens took the stage to show off their talents.

  Su Mo smiled lightly, this must be a performance aimed at herself, with the intention of making her feel ashamed.

  However, the queen was extremely disappointed that this woman not only did not look disheartened and dejected but also gazed straight at those imperial concubine candidates with an air of calmness and composure, as if she were savoring a delicious dish. She even whispered to Yu Ran's ear, critiquing them as if they were performing for her entertainment, and she was just a noble spectator. The queen couldn't help but let out a cold snort, while the crown prince beside her also looked on with great interest.

  Finally, a noble young girl came on stage and played a piece of "Phoenix Seeking Phoenix", her piano skills were exquisite, she was beautiful in appearance, and very captivating.

  Her face was radiant and beautiful, her hair was like clouds, as she swung her arm lightly, the white-based silver-painted cloak was flying in the wind.

  Her piano skills were exceptional, and as everyone was from a noble background, they naturally understood elegant music, each one listening with rapt attention.

  As she played to the end, her ten fingers were like flowers and willows, sweeping over the strings with a flowing water-like motion, completing a piece of music with an extremely elegant and moving posture.

  However, she did not fall, but instead drew a pair of swords from her sides and began to dance leisurely.

  Her waist was flexible and her lotus steps were light, the gentle breeze blew across the strings of the zither, as if providing a soft accompaniment to her, making people's spirits drunk.

  Her dance was soft yet powerful, with a perfect balance of strength and gentleness. At times she twirled and spun, at others she leaped and flipped, like a butterfly fluttering before the crowd.

  She rode a horse with one hand, holding two swords crossed behind her back, with a heroic and elegant demeanor.

  "Good!" A handsome young man was the first to stand up and applaud enthusiastically. The person was none other than the Third Prince.

  "Good! Good!" Immediately, everyone also followed with cheers and applause.

  The young girl sheathed her twin swords, nodded at the Third Prince, and smiled beautifully. Originally, she was already very beautiful, with fair skin, elegant demeanor, bright eyes, especially those deep eyes that were somewhat enchanting. Adding to this, she was smiling graciously at the moment, making her lovely face even more captivating, leaving the surrounding princes somewhat infatuated!

  "Who is she?" Someone in the hall had never seen this woman before.

  Someone laughed and said: "You don't know, she is Miss Xia Xueer, known as Korea's number one beauty."

  Someone next to him took a cold breath and said, "So this Xia Xue'er is the famous Korean number one beauty, her figure is really good, her dance moves look great too, this Korean number one beauty is indeed well-deserved."

  "Isn't it? She is now the red mate of the third prince and also his fiancée arranged by the royal family."

  "The Third Prince, wasn't it said that he was deeply infatuated with a certain demon girl, and this matter caused quite the commotion?"

  "Not bad, at first the third prince seemed to have put a lot of thought into that demon girl, but that kind of woman was just a country-destroying, people-harming seductress who had already been dealt with by the empress dowager. But this Xia Xue'er is a proper and noble lady, one should marry a virtuous wife, and this lady is also Korea's number one beauty, talented and accomplished, it's said that she has already captured the third prince's heart."

  In the distance, Yu Ran chuckled and swirled the wine cup in her hand, whispering to Su Mo's ear: "Your old love now has a new infatuation. Don't you feel heartbroken?"

  Su Mo gave him a slanted glance, her clear and cold eyes looking at him, "You should mind your words, the Third Prince was never my old love."

  He leaned in a little closer, smiling leisurely, "Yes, Wen Renyao is your old love, and I am your new infatuation."

  Su Mo gave him a charming smile, but said word by word: "You go die."

  Yu Ran immediately covered her chest with a hurt expression, as if she was deeply wounded.

  At the same time, he raised his chin and gave a provocative glance at Wen Renyi.

  Now, no one pays too much attention to Su Mo. After Xia Xue'er appeared, all the unmarried women present felt ashamed of themselves, so the empress naturally thought that this woman of the fifth prince would definitely know what it means to be worlds apart!

  She looked at Xia Xue'er with satisfaction, this girl was indeed elegant and dignified, and also the legitimate daughter of the Xia family, different from ordinary legitimate daughters. If one were to say that Xia Xue'er and Xia Yu'er were also cousins, their status and position were far beyond what Xia Yu'er could compare to. Firstly, Xia Xue'er had always been a woman valued by the Xia family, her mother was also a famous noblewoman with great reputation. The Empress felt that during these extraordinary times, being able to form an alliance with such a woman would be extremely good, really very good.

  The third prince is her own flesh and blood, of course she wants to choose the best for him.

  And she thinks this woman is not only beautiful but also has an extraordinary family background and strong financial resources, making her a good candidate.

  So the third prince had no reason to refuse such an excellent woman in all aspects.

  Sure, here is the translation:

  As expected, the Third Prince had a good impression of Xia Xue'er and was very satisfied.

  The queen felt that a man should marry such a woman when he takes a wife, for only this kind of woman has the demeanor to be the mother of the world.

  As for that enchantress, she has long since become a fleeting cloud in the distance.

  She had seen too many women in the palace who relied on their beauty and ended up with a miserable fate.

  Of course, there is also Wen Renyi's new wife, who is even more insignificant.

  In short, even Fang's wife, a woman of her kind, was detestable.

  In the palace, there will never be a shortage of beautiful women, but women with brains are those who can laugh to the end.

  Later, the empress's gaze slowly turned to the third prince, her eyes hinting at him. The third prince understood her intention and ordered a servant to bring out a zither. Then, he and Xia Xue'er sat down at a table, each playing an instrument together, truly a harmonious duet of qin and se. The third prince looked handsome and noble, with modest manners, while Xia Xue'er's temperament was elegant and refined, gentle and dignified. Standing together, they were like the golden boy and jade girl, perfectly matched.

  The entire imperial garden has become a place for the two of them to show off their love.

  It's truly a beautiful scene under the moonlight, with a talented young man and a beautiful woman, everything is self-evident without needing words.

  Some unmarried women looked with envy and admiration.

  Several noblewomen nodded in agreement, their eyes openly admiring them.

  Some women couldn't help but applaud and say: "The Third Prince has finally found a truly suitable partner, indeed only the woman chosen by the Empress is the best, the most suitable..."

  The eighth prince sneered in his heart and said to his confidant beside him, "Although I've heard that the new wife of Prince Yi has displeased the Emperor and Empress, but this new wife is just a small pawn after all."

  "Yes! Xia Xue'er is indeed the one who has gained the imperial family's favor!" A trusted aide smiled faintly by her side.

  "Xia Xuer's life is extraordinary, wise and beautiful, intelligent and generous. As long as she is by the side of the Third Prince, I'm afraid it will be difficult for others to get their hands on the throne."

  "She is the queen's most important chess piece."

  "But most people only know one, not the other. I believe that something big will happen sooner or later, and I'm looking forward to it." The eighth prince smiled lightly, leaving his confidant unaware of what was going on, his gaze passing over the crowd at the table and falling directly on Su Mo.

  The woman still sat with Yu Ran, her eyebrows and eyes smiling, her expression calm and composed.

  Su Mo was watching the people in the imperial garden with a detached air, as if he were watching a play. The scene inside was indeed chaotic, with officials and princes, beauties and young masters, guests and eccentrics, each with their own thoughts. Some had already started drinking, while others were excited after watching the play, and various characters took to the stage in a flurry of activity.

  Underneath this royal family's banquet, beneath the extravagant and noisy facade, something seems to be hiding in obscurity.

  It's really a continuous stream of guests, complex and chaotic, with people from all countries. At the moment, it seems like a well-arranged chessboard, except that the players are all princes of Qi, and everyone who comes here plays their own role, just pawns in the hands of others.

  The starry sky stretches far and wide, the night color is like a lover's eyes, as black as ink.

  Every star is like a chess piece, and they are densely packed.

  Two men stood together on the mountaintop, gazing down at a distant imperial city where a dazzling array of lights intertwined.

  The demonic young man rubbed his ears and said disdainfully: "What kind of tune is being played in the imperial palace, it's really hard to listen to!"

  The man in white robes smiled lightly and said: "Compared to your zither music, it's certainly unpleasant to the ear. However, if you don't like it, you can leave."

  The demon boy immediately sighed: "I also want to leave, but unfortunately, the whole ship can't be left behind."

  A man in white stood with his hands behind his back and said, "I didn't expect that all the checkpoints would be locked up recently, and it's actually hard to leave!"

  "It doesn't matter whether I can leave or not, anyway this place is quite good, staying here can rest my mind and body, as long as Ji Bai is not here it's fine." The charming man hooked his lips, changed to a more comfortable sitting position, with both arms propped behind him, saying the words in a careless tone.

  "This place is of no consequence to you, with your Phoenix Heavenly Sound, you can tear through space and leave at any time, isn't that right? For me, it's also of no consequence, the news from this place will definitely not get out." The man in white clothes said calmly.

  "This place in Qi State is really on high alert... However, it seems that the people of Qi State are looking for you right now! Master Sui."

  "Not bad." The man in white raised the corners of his mouth, and under his eyes he was exactly the person everyone was looking for.

  "I'm saying, are you hiding something? Otherwise, why are you always running around, being so cautious?" The demonic man smiled lightly.

  But under the starry sky, the white-clothed man didn't hold an umbrella. A smile lingered on his lips, a captivating smile. "Sir, aren't you also avoiding Ji Bai? After all, who in this world doesn't have some things they're not satisfied with?"

  The demon boy shrugged, seemingly unwilling to mention Ji Bai at all. He gazed out at the coastline and said, "There have been some strange beasts appearing in the Qi Kingdom's waters. If it were any other time, they would be rare sightings, so you could say that the Qi Kingdom is a great place right now. I came here prepared to make a big haul."

  The man in white laughed and said: "You really like yellow and white things, you shouldn't be surnamed Hua, but should be surnamed Jin."

  "For me, it doesn't matter what surname I have, as long as there's a benefit, that's all that matters."

  The two were speaking slowly when suddenly a large group of guards had already arrived from down the mountain.

  Hua Xirong raised an eyebrow and said coldly: "Who are you?"

  As soon as he opened his mouth, the air around him cooled down a few degrees.

  The leader of the guards immediately knelt down in front of them and said: "The national teacher observed the astronomical phenomena at night, tonight let us find the noble person here, I saw that you two gentlemen are not ordinary, it must be the noble person mentioned by the national teacher."

  Hua Xiangyong couldn't help but exclaim in surprise: "This national teacher's astrology is truly impressive."

  A man in white clothes smiled faintly and said, "In the Spring and Autumn period of the Warring States, after the formation of various schools of thought, there were extraordinary people in the Yin-Yang school who were good at observing celestial phenomena. It seems that this place is also a land of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, and unexpectedly has a branch of the Yin-Yang school."

  Hua Xirong said leisurely: "But I heard that this family is actually related to the Empress."

  The guard remained motionless on his knees, "Both of you, the state of Qi is in urgent need at present, let's put aside our differences and please stay to lend a helping hand."

  "If you want to stay, it's also possible. During this time in the state of Qi, my identity cannot be revealed to anyone." The man in white clothes said with a faint smile on his lips.

  "I'm the same." Huashan said with a sideways glance.

  "Very well, very well, you two follow me into the palace immediately."

  ……

  Su Mo sat there casually watching the show and soon discovered the discord among the princes of Qi State.

  She leaned against the tree, like a lazy cat, quiet and charming, with a pair of charming eyes that saw through everything.

  Suddenly, a cold and arrogant voice came from the side of a young man, saying disdainfully: "Woman, this place is really noisy, can't we go to a quiet place? I have something important to tell you."

  Suddenly, Su Mo was slightly startled. It had been many days since he last heard the young man's words, and today they suddenly appeared, which made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.

  "She immediately used her divine sense to transmit a message: 'Wait a minute.'"

  She lifted her skirt and walked out.

  Yu Ran immediately raised her eyes and smiled: "Where are you going?"

  Su Mo turned around and said lightly: "Go to Gong Fang, it's better for you to stay here."

  Yu Ran stretched out a hand to prop herself up, "You go and come back quickly, it's very boring for me to be here alone."

  Su Mo had just left, Yu Ran lightly laughed and her divine sense heard the two eunuchs beside her say: "You follow her, intentionally lead her astray, let her get lost in the imperial palace. As long as she makes a mistake, she will be expelled from the royal family."

  Yu Ran smiled lightly with her eyes cast down, "I'd rather hope she didn't make a mistake, but unfortunately this woman isn't that easy to deal with."

  Only to see a small eunuch immediately chasing after Su Mo, turning his head to look at Su Mo, with a skin-deep smile, saying: "Madam, walking three forks ahead will lead you to the toilet, remember to walk straight."

  At this time, Su Mo turned his head and looked at him.

  After a while, she opened her red lips and said: "You don't have to follow me anymore, I know."

  She was surprisingly calm and composed, the eunuch found it somewhat unbelievable. He cast a cold glance at Su Mo, looked at him with disdain, and turned to leave.

  However, Su Mo did not go in the direction that the little eunuch had said, but instead turned his foot and went towards a dense forest.

  Then Su Mo gently tapped the Heavenly Book in front of his chest and asked: "What do you want to say?"

  After a while, the young man's voice finally came coldly: "Woman, so you still remember me?"

  Su Mo smiled lightly and said: "Sorry, I got married these days and didn't have time for you."

  The young man's voice was somewhat hesitant: "I know, so I didn't come out, lest you think that this young master is in the way."

  Su Mo smiled slightly and said: "I've prepared new clothes for you, have you seen them?"

  "It's fine now that I've seen it." The boy's voice was slightly less cold.

  "By the way, is there anything you want to say to me?" Su Mo continued to ask.

  "Be careful tonight, someone is going to harm you."

  "I know, I'll be careful." Su Mo knew that the Empress often liked to play dirty tricks, and many concubines had suddenly died under mysterious circumstances.

  "And as for you, woman, I won't be congratulating you after you get married." The young man's tone changed once again.

  "Why don't you congratulate me? Is getting married bad for our destined contract?" Su Mo's eyes flowed with charm.

  "Not you, you have seven contracts, right?"

  "Hmm." Su Mo furrowed his brow.

  "Since the seven contract marks have appeared, it is certain that there will be seven men who will make a contract with you, and you can't escape no matter what. I feel very sympathetic towards Wen Renyi. In short, from now on, your seven true fated husbands won't be missing, these people are all destined to be with you, if there's no fate, even if you search for him in the crowd for thousands of miles, this person will absolutely not be together with you." The young man said seriously.

  In an instant, Su Mo's face sank, but a figure holding a green paper umbrella flashed through his mind.

  ……

  Inside the Eastern Palace, the Emperor had already summoned all of his sons.

  Then Emperor Qi said to the eunuchs and palace maids around him: "You can all withdraw!"

  After the eunuchs and palace maids withdrew, only a group of princes remained in this place.

  The emperor's eyes swept over the crowd, and he said in a low voice: "You are all my sons. I have thirteen imperial princes. Except for Wen Renyi, there are seven imperial princes with fiefs, and five young princes who are still wearing their hair in braids."

  Eight princes looked at him with different eyes, but Wen Renyi was completely uninterested.

  Qidi's expression turned serious: "This time, the situation in Qi State is precarious. On the surface, the imperial palace appears harmonious, but this is only to calm the people's hearts. In short, I will choose one of you eight as the crown prince. As long as you all exert your full strength to defend against external enemies, after all, the country cannot be thrown into chaos."

  He let out a soft sigh and said slowly, "The state of Qi has eight sea domains. The eight of you will each guard one domain. Don't let the demonic beasts approach the land of Qi. Remember!"

  "Yes, your sons humbly listen to the emperor's teachings." Everyone replied in unison.

  "...Only Wen Renyi remained silent."

  "Wen Renyi, don't you want to?" asked Emperor Qi.

  "No, it's because I have too few men." Wen Renyu was not afraid of battle, but he wanted to fight in order to protect Lady Fang.

  "It doesn't matter, just take some retired soldiers to garrison a deserted place." Emperor Qi looked at him coldly, "And you, if you do well, I will reward you according to your merits."

  The third prince nodded silently, this he was very clear about, the queen had mentioned it to him several times, as long as he could defend against the external beast attacks, it would be considered a meritorious act. Fortunately, he had Xia Xue'er by his side, who had brought enough magical instruments with her. He puffed out his chest and said: "I have decided that this time I will guard the sea area closest to the imperial capital, while also reinforcing the imperial city, so that the people in the nearby sea areas will have a place to take refuge."

  Digression

  I'm very grateful for everyone's support during this period, many relatives have been telling me to take care of my body while also saying that I've written too little, hurry up and write more, I'm still very touched, haha, thank you everyone.