allonlinenovel Chapter 190 Palace Intrigue World: A Harem Pierced Through Like a Sickle VS An Awakened Emperor with
Chapter 190 Palace Intrigue World: A Harem Pierced Through Like a Sickle VS An Awakened Emperor with
Su Jinyue went to bed late last night and had to accompany Xiao Jing'an to the morning court session. She got up very early and hadn't eaten breakfast yet. By the time she finally returned to Qianqing Palace, she was hungry, sleepy, and exhausted, and simply couldn't hold on any longer.
Su Jinyue watched as Xiao Jing'an entered the study in Qianqing Palace without looking back; she simply didn't have the strength to follow him in.
She leaned against the gate of Qianqing Palace, grabbed Li Derang who was passing by, and asked pitifully, "Eunuch Li, is there anything to eat? I'm starving!"
Li Derang glanced at the Qianqing Palace. Xiao Jing'an had already entered the hall. Moreover, last night the emperor had instructed that after court, he should meet with Daoist Xuanqing and the abbot of Huangjue Temple.
"Now the Emperor probably doesn't have time to deal with Su Jinyue," Li Derang thought for a moment, then smiled and said to Su Jinyue.
"Consort Su can go to the tea room first, where there is tea and snacks to enjoy."
Su Jinyue was somewhat dissatisfied. Was there only tea and snacks, and no proper meals?
And how long is she going to stay here?
"Eunuch Li, aren't I currently under house arrest? Perhaps I should go back now, otherwise it wouldn't be good if someone found out."
Li Derang didn't really understand the Emperor's intention in having Su Jinyue, a dignified concubine, disguise herself as a eunuch, but the Emperor must have his reasons for doing so, and he just needed to obey orders.
Therefore, Li Derang treated Su Jinyue with great respect. The Emperor treated Su Jinyue very differently. Perhaps the Emperor just liked this kind of person. Although Su Jinyue was not the most beautiful, her appearance was still considered above average.
Even the Empress and the Imperial Concubine couldn't get along with the Emperor, but he was very indulgent towards Su Jinyue.
Li Derang rarely spoke his mind to Su Jinyue: "Consort Su, I must also follow His Majesty's orders, so please don't make things difficult for me."
Upon hearing this, Su Jinyue knew that she could not go back yet.
Let's settle for second best and fill our stomachs first before thinking about anything else.
Su Jinyue quickly went to the tea room, where Xiao Jing'an had already met the two masters.
"Masters, what are your thoughts on yesterday's solar eclipse? This unusual celestial phenomenon—will it pose any threat to me or the Great Yong Dynasty?"
Master Xuanqing and the abbot of Huangjue Temple both possessed some Taoist and Buddhist knowledge, but the matter was of great importance and they were facing the emperor.
For a moment, the two looked at each other but neither spoke.
Xiao Jing'an seemed to sense their concerns, so he spoke again: "Masters, please speak freely. No matter how bad the outcome, I can accept it and forgive you."
Over the past two days, Xiao Jing'an has heard at least three different ways he could die from Su Jinyue's thoughts, and now he is at peace with himself.
He thought he could handle whatever the two masters said.
Master Xuanqing glanced at Xiao Jing'an to confirm that he was truly not angry or upset before tentatively speaking.
"Your Majesty, I observed the celestial phenomena yesterday. When the unusual celestial phenomenon occurred, the Imperial Star dimmed while the Greedy Wolf Star shone brightly, seemingly forcing the Imperial Star into a corner. This was indeed an ominous sign."
"Oh, then does the Taoist priest know the reason for Sirius's bright light, and who is the one who is threatening the Imperial Star?"
“Uh, this…” Master Xuanqing looked troubled and explained helplessly, “Your Majesty, the celestial phenomena are in chaos now. This old Taoist’s abilities are shallow. I can only vaguely sense that there is some extraterrestrial force involved. I can’t analyze anything more than that.”
According to Su Jinyue, the women in the harem were all bound to a cheat system or something similar. Master Xuanqing said that it was due to the intervention of extraterrestrial forces, which seems plausible.
Xiao Jing'an then asked, "Does the Taoist priest have a way to break this?"
"Your Majesty, this old Taoist priest's abilities are still limited, and I am unable to come up with a solution." Master Xuanqing's tone was extremely ashamed, as if he regretted that he could not relieve Xiao Jing'an's worries.
But then he changed his tone and said, "However, when I observed the celestial phenomena yesterday, although the Emperor Star was dim and the Greedy Wolf Star was bright, the Moon Star appeared at the same time, obscuring the light of the Greedy Wolf Star."
It is evident that His Majesty has the assistance of a benefactor, which enables him to drive away the Greedy Wolf and turn misfortune into good fortune.
Xiao Jing'an remained silent. Was Su Jinyue the Moon Star?
However, thinking of Su Jinyue's inner thoughts, Xiao Jing'an felt a bit disgusted. This person had no respect for him at all, and most of her inner thoughts were complaints about him. She was also very lewd towards him.
No matter how Xiao Jing'an looked at it, he couldn't believe that Su Jinyue was the one.
The Moon is the star of the Moon. How could the Moon's radiance be bestowed upon someone who is not noble at all?
Xiao Jing'an then asked the abbot of Huangjue Temple, "Abbot, do you have any different opinions?"
The abbot clasped his hands together and said, "Amitabha Buddha, yesterday was a solar eclipse, which is an auspicious day in Buddhism. Any good deeds performed at this time will have doubled merit. I recited the 'Samantabhadra's Vow' yesterday to accumulate blessings for all sentient beings."
I also sensed it yesterday: a soul from another world has entered this realm. This is a calamity for the Great Yong Dynasty, and also a calamity for Your Majesty.
But cause and effect are cyclical, and the souls of other worlds are not incapable of dealing with each other. I hope Your Majesty will sow good seeds and reap good fruit, and treat this with a calm mind, and you will be able to safely overcome this calamity..."
Xiao Jing'an was confused, but he understood the general meaning.
The two masters were indeed quite capable, knowing about extraterrestrial power and otherworldly souls.
Xiao Jing'an pondered carefully, listening to the meaning behind Su Jinyue's words. These people did not know each other, and were even enemies in the plot Su Jinyue described.
That's good. They're not a monolithic group, so Xiao Jing'an can deal with them one by one, and even use them to make the Great Yong Dynasty more prosperous.
Xiao Jing'an then took two pieces of paper from the table in the study and asked Li Derang to hand them to the two masters.
"These are the birth dates and times of some people. Could the two masters possibly see anything unusual?"
Master Xuanqing and the presiding master kept calculating with their fingers and occasionally exchanged opinions in hushed tones. Finally, the two seemed to have reached a conclusion.
"Your Majesty, some of these people have had their fates altered since yesterday, and their future is unpredictable. Their lives and deaths are left to fate, and this old Taoist/this humble monk is powerless to help them."
Xiao Jing'an took the two papers that Li Derang handed back. They contained the birth dates and times of the concubines in the harem. Those whose birth dates differed from those drawn by the two masters basically matched Su Jinyue's thoughts.
Looking at the list, Xiao Jing'an was speechless. He had only selected about ten girls to enter the palace this time, but more than half of them had problems. Was God deliberately targeting him?
"Masters, this conversation concerns the royal family and the future of the Great Yong Dynasty. We hope you will keep it a secret and not mention it to outsiders."
Master Xuanqing and the presiding master both agreed, and then Xiao Jing'an was satisfied and asked Li Derang to send the two masters back.