"You—" The Empress clutched her chest, her breathing rapid, on the verge of fainting.
Prince Ruan rushed forward, supporting her and shielding her body.
"Mother!" the Second Prince cried out, "Lingyao, are you trying to anger Mother to death?"
The ministers, having listened for so long, grew increasingly alarmed. The scene was chaotic. Although Princess Lingyao spoke with conviction and presented a well-reasoned argument, emotionally, they leaned towards the Empress, as they were not well acquainted with this princess.
"Imperial Sister, don't get truly angry, it's not worth it," the First Prince consoled her.
Lingyao, however, watched Prince Ruan's undisguised concern with a cruel smile.
Adulterer and whore!
She was unworthy of being the mother of a nation.
Unworthy of the Emperor's love!
"I am the Goddess recognized by Father Emperor, how could he possibly strip me of my title?"
Lingyao slowly raised her right hand, palm facing upwards. Yu Liu and Yu Shan, standing beside her, gasped in astonishment.
On her delicate, slender hand, a ball of fiercely burning azure flame appeared.
Everyone was stunned.
Azure flames, it was said that the flames used by Lord Laozi to refine elixirs were azure... Samadhi True Fire.
Lingyao stared at the magnificent, resplendent golden palace. Her flaming hand swept down in anger.
"Boom—clang—"
The glazed eaves of the towering palace were cleanly severed, as if struck by lightning, and then began to collapse.
"Ah—"
The palace maids and eunuchs inside fled in panic. Prince Ruan shielded the Empress and moved them to safety, his eyes filled with shock.
A large section of the Fengluan Palace had already collapsed.
"The Empress is unworthy of her position. I, on behalf of the gods, punish you!"
"Because of your foolishness, the Jing Kingdom has suffered natural disasters, with barren lands and widespread famine, leaving the people with no means to live! The nation that Father Emperor protected cannot be further ruined by you!"
Her words were sharp and incisive. Her hair flew without wind, her gaze condescending to everything. Everyone involuntarily submitted. She was a Goddess, truly a Goddess!
Minister Cao was the first to kneel, followed by a cascade of others.
"Little Sister..." the Second Prince stared at her blankly, as if he didn't recognize her.
He had known since childhood that his little sister was the Emperor's most cherished Goddess, but he had never known that a Goddess could be like this.
He had thought that "Goddess" was merely a pleasant title.
"Indeed! Princess Lingyao is the true Goddess! Auspicious clouds filled the sky, phoenixes sang, the divine altar lit up. Eighteen years ago, the Goddess descended upon the Jing Kingdom, and the Emperor built the Fengque Tower solely to protect the Goddess. Who would have thought that the Emperor would be harmed by villains, the princess would suffer, and the Jing Kingdom would then be subjected to divine punishment!"
The Great Shaman, clad in sacrificial robes, was followed by several soldiers. Leading the soldiers was the Divine Martial General—Xiao Shan, who had entered the city with great fanfare today.
Lin Yue ran over in disarray and shouted to the shocked Prince Ruan, "Your Highness, the Divine Martial General's men have surrounded the Taiyi Hall."
Yes, he saw. Although he had received news of the Divine Martial General repelling the Turks, he hadn't realized he had already arrived in the capital, without a single sound. How many troops had he brought?
Lingyao, having exerted great effort in her furious strike, felt her body's heat rapidly dissipate, leaving her feeling icy cold, unlike her usual weakness.
Xiao Shan's sharp, cold gaze swept across the crowd before he quickly moved to her side, pulling her close. "Why is your face so pale?"
He immediately sensed something was wrong. She was trembling, shivering from the cold.
She also pressed herself against him, her hands reaching inside his robes.
At this moment, Xiao Shan naturally didn't think she was trying to tease him; her hands were as cold as ice blocks.
"Du Ling! Control everyone! Await orders on the spot!"
After speaking to the person behind him, he picked up Lingyao and prepared to leave.
The assembled court officials were at a loss. Prince Ruan shouted sternly, "Stop! Is the Divine Martial General controlling the palace to commit treason?!"
"Hmph! Stop accusing others when you're the guilty one."
The Second Prince spread his arms to block him. "Put Lingyao down."
The First Prince directly pulled the Second Prince aside. "This is a matter between husband and wife, you shouldn't interfere!"
Xiao Shan ignored them entirely and, carrying her, entered the nearest Fengluan Palace.
"What did you say? What husband and wife?" the Second Prince couldn't believe it.
The Great Shaman spoke again, addressing the court. "Everyone, please rest assured, the Divine Martial General has come at the command of Princess Lingyao. The Emperor is currently afflicted by a蛊 poison, and the Princess, as the Goddess, is to assist in governing the nation. Please wait on the spot, and you will surely see the Emperor today!"
He looked meaningfully at Prince Ruan.
"Great Shaman, my Imperial Brother clearly has a brain ailment, how can it be蛊 poison? Where did you hear this?" Prince Ruan frowned, appearing confused and worried.
The Empress stood dazed, supported by Mama Zhou.
"Your Highness, please forgive this old man's rudeness, but do you truly believe the Emperor has a brain ailment? That makes you a great fool. It's fortunate you didn't become Emperor; such confusion would have ruined the Jing Kingdom!"
Prince Ruan's face darkened.
Xiao Shan casually found a couch to lay Lingyao down on, intending for Yu Shan to check what was wrong with her.
However, Lingyao's grip was strong, and she clung to him, refusing to get down.
Yu Liu, behind them, quickly recounted what had happened.
Xiao Shan had never seen her use divine power, but he saw the collapsed section. Such a large area, how much power would that require?
He knew this greatly depleted her body. Last time, she had fallen into a coma after killing two people. This time, she hadn't fainted, but her body was ice-cold.
He felt a pang of fear, his temper flaring.
"Didn't I tell you to watch the mistress and not let her talk to those idiots?"
"Yes, yes, your subordinate deserves death, we failed to stop her."
Lingyao stirred, her lips slightly pale, and peeked out. "You two go outside and guard."
Yu Liu and Yu Shan looked at Xiao Shan. Seeing him frown and nod, they carefully withdrew.
As soon as they left, Lingyao began to pull at Xiao Shan's clothes.
"Quick, take them off, I'm cold."
Ah? Was she asking him to warm her up?
Xiao Shan efficiently stripped his clothes clean. He didn't know what was wrong with this Fengluan Palace; this should be the Empress's sleeping quarters, yet there was no charcoal fire burning, as if no one lived there.
After taking off his clothes, he quickly embraced Lingyao, having her sit on him to prevent her from catching the chill from the bedding.
"So warm," Lingyao's face pressed against his heated chest. "So comfortable."
She felt a bit warmer, but it wasn't enough.
The bed curtains were lowered.
From within, the man's repeated, worried inquiries could be heard, followed by the shifting of figures and intermittent, sweet moans.
Half an hour later.
"I'm fine now, I want to get down."
"Are you sure? You still feel a bit cold. Want to absorb some more? I have plenty of warmth!" the man's voice, filled with concern.
"I'm really fine, hurry up, I want to see Father."
"Alright, after seeing the Emperor, we'll go back to Fengque Palace to recuperate."
Even after getting dressed, Xiao Shan was still bewildered: Did he have this capability?
Lingyao indeed looked much better, her complexion regaining its rosy hue.
Anyone who didn't know would think she was a demoness who sucked people's essence!
In fact, they were absorbing from each other; she warmed her body, and he gained strength.
Weren't they born for each other?
Truly marvelous!