The Emperor of Northern Qi personally attended the sword unveiling ceremony for Si Gu Jian's Sword Hut!

Although this would certainly be Si Gu Jian's last appearance in the world, the Grandmaster's status was revered, and this ceremony would determine the future ownership of Dongyi City, which was extremely important to Northern Qi. Still, it was shocking that the Emperor of Northern Qi would condescend to attend in person.

Except for Fan Xian, who had already guessed it.

He squinted behind the curtain, looking through layers of gauze at the young but deeply scheming Emperor of Northern Qi. He knew that Northern Qi would attach great importance to Si Gu Jian's death, especially given the current power of Southern Qing. If the people of Northern Qi wanted to turn the tide, they had to make a stronger response.

The Emperor of Northern Qi's personal appearance to persuade Si Gu Jian represented the absolute sincerity of Northern Qi. An emperor leaving his own capital and quietly coming to a foreign country involved taking countless risks. This move was extremely bold. Even though Fan Xian had guessed the Northern Qi emperor's unconventional approach back in Yanjing City, seeing the emperor appear beside the Sword Hut in person still filled him with shock and admiration.

...

...

The Sword Hut mountain courtyard was quiet and secluded. Countless experts from the Northern Qi court and the defensive forces of the Sword Hut were hidden outside. However, it seemed that no one had expected that in the very center of the defenses, the Southern Qing's Fan Xian, the person most worried about by the people of Northern Qi, had quietly sneaked in, only a few steps away from their Emperor.

With Fan Xian's strength, if he risked it all, he might really be able to capture the Emperor of Northern Qi in the front room. But the problem was, even if he could control the Emperor, what problem would it solve? Moreover, he had already sensitively sensed that countless experts were lurking throughout the mountain courtyard, and an even more powerful figure was slowly walking towards the quiet room.

The sound of footsteps stopped outside the room. Fan Xian frowned and sensed carefully, but he could not grasp the other person's breathing rhythm. From this detail, he could be sure that the visitor was an expert no less than himself, and perhaps even more refined and natural in controlling their inner strength.

Apart from the Emperor of Northern Qi's martial arts teacher, Lang Tao, the foremost disciple of the Heavenly One Sect, who else could possess such a level of skill?

Behind the bed curtain, Fan Xian's eyelids twitched twice, and he subconsciously tightened his grip on Si Lili's hand. He suddenly felt that his situation was somewhat absurd. His plan for today was too impulsive. If the Emperor of Northern Qi came to Dongyi City in disguise, he would definitely be accompanied by an extremely terrifying defense force. How could everything go so smoothly? Perhaps it was because he had a hold on the Northern Qi emperor's weakness that he was acting so madly.

If Lang Tao entered the room at this moment, he would easily detect Si Lili's breathing, confirming the eunuch's suspicion and then discovering Fan Xian's presence.

He turned his head and glanced at Si Lili, his eyes full of inquiry and probing. Si Lili knew what this nemesis was thinking. Her eyes shifted slightly, radiating a faint light, and she glared at him with extreme reproach.

At this moment, the Emperor of Northern Qi was resting outside. If he knew that his beloved consort was flirting with that most detestable pretty boy less than ten steps away... he would probably vomit three liters of blood in anger, and a green light would shine brightly above his head.

Fan Xian smiled silently, pursed his lips slightly, blinked his eyes, and filled them with a pleading look. Si Lili looked at the man helplessly, countless thoughts running through her mind. Her fingers twisted nervously for a long time, and finally, she couldn't help but soften her heart and agree to the plea in his eyes, sighing softly.

At this moment, the Emperor of Northern Qi was frowning tightly, thinking about something. Lang Tao had walked to the outside of the room, about to report something. The Northern Qi side all thought that Consort Li was playing in the garden and that the room should be quiet. They did not expect that a sigh would suddenly sound in the room.

Fan Xian's eyebrows twitched slightly.

Outside, the Emperor of Northern Qi's tightly locked brows suddenly relaxed. His eyes opened and looked calmly at the curtain.

Lang Tao's figure paused outside the room, his shadow reflected on the door.

...

...

Si Lili fastened her ruqun while walking out from behind the curtain. Her flowing cloud hair was slightly disheveled, her delicate face was flushed, and her talking eyes showed a slight panic, as if she had just done something shameful.

A cold glint flashed in the eyes of the Emperor of Northern Qi, and he said coldly, "So you are here. When the eunuch said you were in the garden, why didn't you say anything?"

Si Lili smiled at the young emperor, unlike how she was with Fan Xian, both happy and afraid. She sat down in front of the dressing table and began to fix her hair in front of the large mirror, saying casually, "Sometimes, how dare I say anything?"

Hiding behind the curtain, Fan Xian's heart skipped a beat. He didn't know if he had taken the right risk. Si Lili's words were ambiguous, making him feel a little numb.

The Emperor of Northern Qi sneered, stood up, walked behind Si Lili, and said, "Could it be that you have done something shameful that you don't want me to know?"

As soon as these words came out, Fan Xian couldn't help but smile bitterly behind him. Unexpectedly, Si Lili turned her head and glared at the Emperor, saying extremely gently, "Who told you to just come in like that? I was in the back... of course, it's something I don't want people to see. Are you planning to let others see my...?"

At least two words were omitted from this sentence. Fan Xian looked at the gilded chamber pot next to him and immediately understood Si Lili's words. He couldn't help but feel a slight chill in his heart, thinking that this former female spy was indeed quite capable of handling unexpected situations.

The Emperor of Northern Qi suddenly laughed. Looking at Si Lili's beautiful face, his heart stirred. He leaned down and pecked her red lips, saying vaguely, "I can't bear to let others see the bright moon on your body."

This kiss was extremely domineering. The two of them met lip to lip and sucked for a long time until Si Lili was a little out of breath. The Emperor reluctantly spat out her fragrant tongue, and a few traces of lust suddenly appeared on his handsome face.

Watching this scene, Fan Xian's face couldn't help but become strange. Fortunately, his mind was strong enough to control his breathing and heartbeat, preventing Lang Tao from noticing it outside the room. But when he saw the Emperor of Northern Qi put his hand into Si Lili's clothes, grasping and kneading the soft mass, he finally couldn't help but change his expression, his eyes wide open, not wanting to miss this scene.

Finally, this vivid and fragrant scene ended, especially with the inclusion of a certain unusual interest, which was enough for Fan Xian to savor.

Not knowing what Lang Tao said softly outside, the lustful expression on the Emperor of Northern Qi's face disappeared. He whispered a few words in Si Lili's ear, his face full of annoyance, tidied his messy clothes, and walked out of the room.

...

...

Only after confirming the safety of the mountain residence did Fan Xian flash out, staring at Si Lili's charming face, which was as red and dripping as if painted, with a strange smile on the corner of his lips.

Si Lili glared at him unhappily and said, "What are you laughing at?"

"I saw a live erotic show. Can't I even laugh?" Fan Xian sat down beside her.

"Lord Fan, what exactly are you doing here?" Si Lili stared into his eyes and said softly, "It's not just to watch me and His Majesty being intimate, is it?" As soon as these words came out, for some reason, a hint of shyness appeared on the face of this Northern Qi Consort.

Fan Xian keenly caught this point. His heart stirred, and he smiled and said, "I originally wanted to discuss some things privately with your Majesty, but I didn't expect that Lord Lang Tao would stick to him like glue, and have the same interest in eavesdropping as I do. It seems that it's impossible to talk to His Majesty privately. It seems I can only wait until tonight."

"Tonight?" Si Lili was shocked and said, "Do you want to stay in my room until tonight?"

Fan Xian raised his eyebrows, "Why not? You know, I've never really seen such a good-looking intimate scene. When I return to Southern Qing, I'll use Cao Xueqin's pen name to write a story about the Northern Qi Emperor's private affairs, which will definitely sell better than the Stone Records. Danbo Bookstore will make another big pile of silver, and I'll give you 20% as a tip, how about it?"

Si Lili sneered, "Have you and Princess Lin Wan'er never been intimate?"

Fan Xian finally couldn't help but laugh, grinning and saying, "The problem is that I've really seen a lesbian scene for the first time."

"What's a lesbian?" Si Lili asked with her big eyes, confused.

Fan Xian stopped smiling and looked at her calmly, saying word by word, "I've always been curious, how do two women... do that thing? Looking at His Majesty's expression earlier, it seems that he is indeed very interested in your body. Is he born with that preference?"

Si Lili finally understood his words. Her face turned pale in an instant. This was a huge secret that the Northern Qi royal family had hidden for nearly twenty years. After Master Ku He's death, only a few people in the entire world knew about it. Now, it was suddenly spoken from Fan Xian's mouth, causing her to be terrified.

"Does the world really have eternal secrets?" Fan Xian twitched his nose, smelling the faint scent of golden osmanthus in the room, and said softly to Si Lili, "Especially for me, you three have plotted against me. Aren't you ever afraid that I'll guess this secret and then use it to threaten you?"

The shock in Si Lili's heart could not be eliminated at all. She just looked at Fan Xian's face in disbelief, not hearing what he was saying at all.

Seeing her panic and fear, Fan Xian comforted her softly, "What does this have to do with you? Why are you so afraid? I'm just curious, why didn't you reveal that I was in the room when Lang Tao was just outside?"

Si Lili was silent for a long time before gradually digesting the shock in her heart. She lowered her head and bit her lip, saying, "His Majesty and I were both in the room. I know your methods. I'm afraid Lord Lang Tao wouldn't have time to enter the room before you could kill us both."

Fan Xian shook his head at her and said seriously, "You know that's not the reason, but in any case, I want to thank you."

Si Lili suddenly raised her head and looked at Fan Xian, saying, "There's no need to thank me. I should thank you. You saved my life on the way north, and then you saved my brother's life. In the past few years, I've been in the Northern Qi palace, and you've never tried to control me. In any case, I can't bear to watch you get killed."

"Of course," she emphasized, "I won't allow you to hurt His Majesty either."

"You're wrong about one thing," Fan Xian said, "You're just a Consort. If I really wanted to hurt your Emperor, you wouldn't be able to stop me."

He suddenly shook his head and sighed, "Four or five years have passed in a flash. I wonder how you've been in Shangjing City."

Speaking of which, the relationship between Fan Xian and Si Lili was extremely complicated and could not be explained in a few words. However, Si Lili was right earlier. Fan Xian and Si Lili secretly reached an agreement to help her enter the palace, but he had never tried to control her.

"Although no one in the world knows about the agreement between you and me, since you have helped me avenge my family, I will naturally do my best to help you," Si Lili's expression suddenly became solemn at this time. She stood up and gave Fan Xian a graceful bow.

In his life, Fan Xian always seemed to be constantly reaching various agreements with different women. Yan Bingyun said that he conquered the world by conquering women, which was not just a mockery, but a real thing.

That year, during the colorful journey north in the carriage, Fan Xian solved the poison that Chen Pingping had buried in Si Lili's body. At the same time, he promised that if there was a chance in the future, he would avenge her family. Si Lili also agreed to become his nail in the Northern Qi palace.

Si Lili was a descendant of the Southern Qing royal family. However, her grandfather was brutally killed in the struggle for the throne, and her parents also died in the subsequent pursuit by the Southern Qing court, which was why she grew up in Shangjing City, Northern Qi.

The military heavyweight who betrayed Si Lili's grandfather and successfully assisted the Southern Qing Emperor in ascending the throne was none other than Lord Qin, who died at Fan Xian's hands more than two years ago!

...

...

No matter what the starting point was, Fan Xian always fulfilled his promise and avenged Si Lili. However, several years had passed, and Si Lili was far away in the depths of the Northern Qi palace, beyond the control of the Supervisory Council. Therefore, Fan Xian did not know whether this woman still remembered the agreement she made that year, or whether she would still help him.

Fortunately, the scene in the room earlier had proved that Si Lili was willing to help Fan Xian, at least on the premise that she would not harm the Emperor of Northern Qi. However, although Fan Xian was the man who understood women's minds the most in the world, he ultimately came from Mars, while women came from Venus. He did not completely and accurately grasp Si Lili's psychological activities.

Si Lili had helped him hide his figure earlier not only because she was grateful for his life-saving grace and his vengeance but also because of some unspeakable emotions. This girl had a bizarre background. She had disguised herself as the number one courtesan in Kyoto and worked for Northern Qi as a spy. However, the only man who had really had intimate physical contact with her, and could even be described as being in harmony with each other, was Fan Xian.

Especially on that bright moon night, in the dilapidated temple, on the big bed, the fragrance of golden osmanthus filled the air, and the bodies of the man and woman were as complex as their complex relationship. Who knew what had actually happened?

Is the passage to a woman's heart her breasts? Who said that? However, it seems to make some sense. At least, the look in Si Lili's eyes at Fan Xian at this time was complex to an outrageous degree.

Fan Xian was finally defeated by Si Lili's faint gaze. How could he forget the Liujing River Flower Boat, the carriage by the North Sea, the dilapidated temple, and the pavilion several years ago? He just always thought that this woman was different from the women of the world and had an extremely strong control over her future, so he would subconsciously keep his distance. However, this faint gaze finally made him understand that even the most powerful woman was still a woman after all.

There was not a single real man in the Northern Qi palace... The loneliness made Si Lili unbearable. Countless times, the girl would think of Fan Xian's soul-stirring fingertips and his gentle but chilling face. She had been thinking about it blankly for several years, and it had become an obsession.

Fan Xian was silent and gently took Si Lili's hand, looking at her talking eyes and smiling slightly.

Si Lili suddenly thought of something and said with a bitter smile, "His Majesty treats me very well and wants to ask you for a favor."

"He wants to kill me, he has thought about it many times," Fan Xian looked at Si Lili quietly and said, "I am a person who repays his debts, especially since his plans in Dongyi City this time are too big. I can't possibly hand Dongyi City over to them with both hands. No matter how the Qing royal family treated your family back then, you are still a Qing person after all. You can't just watch them join forces and put pressure on my Great Qing."

"Since my parents died, I no longer consider myself a person of Southern Qing," Si Lili slowly withdrew her hand from his and said, "I am just an ordinary and pitiful woman."

Fan Xian was silent for a moment before saying seriously, "That's right, it's really unreasonable to ask you for help with this matter. I just want to know how his talks with Si Gu Jian have been going these two days."

Si Lili's lips curled up slightly, and she smiled, "You might not believe it, but Si Gu Jian's arrogance is so great that His Majesty personally condescended to come here and has entered the hut for two consecutive days, but he hasn't even seen this Grandmaster."

Fan Xian raised his eyebrows, feeling shocked. He thought, what exactly was wrong with Si Gu Jian? Even though the Emperor of Northern Qi had come in person, he still refused to see him. Even if Si Gu Jian used Wang Shisanlang to express part of his attitude, the arrival of the Emperor of Northern Qi was obviously a weapon that he could use to bargain.

...

...

In a corner of the mountain courtyard, the experts of Northern Qi and the Sword Hut were hidden everywhere. In that flower garden, the Emperor of Northern Qi, whom Lang Tao had invited out, looked blankly at the thatched hut below the mountain gate. The corners of his eyes twitched slightly, as if he felt infinite anger at Si Gu Jian's refusal to see him.

"Wang Shisanlang wants to break through the barrier and enter the hut. It's obvious that he wants to bring the information from Southern Qing's Fan Xian to Si Gu Jian," Lang Tao said calmly, "At this time, Yun Zhilan's people are still stopping him outside. The problem is that although the disciples of the Sword Hut are inclined to our court, they can't possibly kill Wang Shisanlang in broad daylight."

"In my opinion... that person is Fan Xian," The Emperor of Northern Qi closed his eyes and said softly.

Lang Tao's brows furrowed slightly. He knew what kind of troublesome character Fan Xian was. If Wei Hua, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, had not been able to hold back the Southern Qing delegation and had allowed Fan Xian to arrive in Dongyi City ahead of time, then this person might really have the ability to disrupt His Majesty's plan.

"Si Gu Jian's attitude is too ambiguous. I can't figure out what he's thinking," The Emperor of Northern Qi suddenly opened his eyes, his eyes flashing with a strong chill, and said, "There will inevitably be a war between our court and Southern Qing. If Fan Xian dies, the Qing Emperor will definitely be furious and send troops. Dongyi City can only lean towards our court."

"What if the war starts, how will we clean it up?" Lang Tao frowned and said, "Even if Fan Xian dies in Dongyi City, the Qing Emperor will definitely put the blame on us."

"What if Fan Xian doesn't die?" The Emperor of Northern Qi's eyes suddenly became confused. "Can he prevent the outbreak of war? My Great Qi is not ready yet and should not have provoked the Southern Dynasty... However, if I don't act, Dongyi City will inevitably be swallowed by Southern Qing. At that time, the momentum of my Great Qi will decline even more, and it will never be able to turn around."

The Emperor of Northern Qi, who was young but actually scheming, said coldly, "I once hoped for Fan Xian, but after thinking about it carefully, those who are not of our race must have different hearts. He is, after all, the Qing Emperor's illegitimate son. How could he consider Great Qi? Especially in the past few years, I have carefully observed him and ignored Dingzhou and Qingzhou. I don't know what he is thinking, but at least I can confirm one thing... he is still far from being the Qing Emperor's match and cannot influence the Qing Emperor's ambitions."

Lang Tao was silent. As the current head of the Heavenly One Sect, he was of course very clear about the matter of Dingzhou and Qingzhou. Many Green Mountain disciples had died at the hands of Fan Xian's Supervisory Council. After a long while, he said softly, "I wonder what Duo Duo will think."

A trace of loss flashed in the little Emperor's eyes, "If Little Martial Aunt were in my position, I'm afraid she would kill Fan Xian as well."

At this moment, the eunuch with the high-pitched voice came to the two of them in small steps and reported in a low voice, "The decree has been passed to Consort Li, ordering her to come to the garden. The room is already empty."

"He Daoren and the experts of the Sword Hut have already hidden their positions and can strike at any time," The eunuch reported in a trembling voice. It was obvious that he had been frightened by the previous entry into the room to deliver the decree to Si Lili.

Lang Tao closed his eyes, then opened them, the essence of his eyes exploded and then converged, slowly saying, "This subject will go."

The Emperor of Northern Qi nodded slightly. He knew very well that if the person in the room was really Fan Xian, then if Lang Tao did not personally take action, He Daoren and the few experts in the Sword Hut would not necessarily be able to keep him there.

Lang Tao walked towards that room. The Emperor of Northern Qi stood by the door of the mountain residence, looking at the thatched hut, his eyes slightly narrowed, with unknown emotions flashing in his eyes. As an Emperor, there were always many things he could not help but do. Even if he was ruthless, he often had to be ruthless to himself first.

At this time, Si Lili, led by the eunuch, came behind him, looking at the Emperor's figure with a slight hint of doubt.

The Emperor of Northern Qi slowly turned around, looking at his favorite woman with a smile. He thought to himself that if it hadn't been for Consort Li's slightly astringent tongue and the fact that the quiet room had a long-lost hint of shyness, he probably wouldn't have guessed that this kid was so bold as to sneak into the mountain residence.

...

...

(I always forget to wail, and there is a typo, so I will take the opportunity to wail while correcting it. These chapters have been so difficult to write recently... Tomorrow will be even more difficult.)