"Would you like to come to my house for dinner?"

Seeing Li Caimei's expectant gaze, Ying Wuji couldn't bear to refuse, but...

There was no "but"!

It was just a meal, there was nothing difficult about it.

Ying Wuji smiled, "Of course! We can go wherever you want!"

Saying that, he pulled her to sit on a stone stool and held her small hand.

Their eyes met, and there was a sweet atmosphere between them.

Li Caimei's face blushed slightly. In the past, if Ying Wuji had made such a move, she would have felt uncomfortable.

But since last night, this level of intimacy felt like an itch in her heart, making her restless, but it still didn't feel enough.

So, she seized the opportunity.

She kissed Ying Wuji on the lips.

Then she smiled and tried to withdraw.

Ying Wuji couldn't let her go, he held her pretty face and tickled her cheek, making her giggle.

They stuck together and didn't want to separate.

Even though snowflakes began to fall from the sky, they were still reluctant to part.

It was only when they heard a light cough from inside the house that they reluctantly separated.

Zhao Ning then came out, calmly saying, "Let's get ready to leave!"

Li Caimei lightly agreed, a hint of joy on her face.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, being able to see her sister and visit Ying Wuji's house, there was just too much good news.

But Ying Wuji's expression suddenly changed, "Zaogao!"

"What's wrong with you?"

Both Zhao Ning and Li Caimei were worried because they felt that Ying Wuji's energy was extremely chaotic at the moment.

Ying Wuji shook his head, "It's nothing serious! I made a mistake in my cultivation a few days ago. I'll go to the training room for a while. You wait for me for the time it takes to burn an incense stick!"

Li Caimei couldn't help but feel sorry for him when she saw his pale face, "Let me help you heal!"

"No need!"

Ying Wuji smiled and waved his hand, "You've already suffered a great loss recently. If you heal me, what will happen to your own energy? This is just a minor issue, I can handle it myself. You all just wait patiently!"

Li Caimei nodded, after dispersing her Jade Maiden energy, she was still considered a master in the Nascent Soul stage, but she couldn't compare to her previous self.

Zhao Ning smiled, "Don't worry, after he breaks through the Nascent Soul stage, his strength will increase significantly. There won't be any major problems!"

Ying Wuji smiled and quickly ran to the training room.

He locked the door directly.

Hua Chao was still inside, what if she went back to have lunch?

He had to find a way to take Hua Chao away and ensure that she wouldn't go back for a short time.

An external incarnation?

It was possible, but it was still a divine ability. With his cultivation level, he could use it, but there were also significant drawbacks.

First, it consumed too much energy. Second, his CPU wasn't at that level yet. The main body and the incarnation were easily mixed up, and often the words he wanted to say would come out from the other body.

That would be a disaster.

So...

There was only one way.

Ying Wuji pulled out a dagger from his boot, closed his eyes, and recalled the moment when Thirteen and Lao Bi Deng clinked their cups.

"The knife was too fast!"

"It just split the space."

That night, Lao Bi Deng displayed such a skill, probably suspecting that he had done something.

Ying Wuji took a deep breath and swung the dagger.

...

The Marquis's Mansion.

Although it was adjacent to the royal palace, there was no hustle and bustle here. Instead, it was unexpectedly peaceful.

Hua Chao woke up not long after sleeping.

She stood in front of the mirror in her nightgown.

Seeing the blush on her fair neck, she couldn't help but feel her face heat up.

The scene from last night was too embarrassing.

But Wuji was very gentle, every touch made her feel an indescribable sense of security.

It's so good!

Whenever she thought of Wuji saying "I will only love you for a lifetime," she felt like all the dark clouds that had hung over her for half of her life had dispersed.

Even if it was just a secret affair, as long as Wuji's heart belonged to her, what else could she ask for?

She smiled and put on her clothes, tidying up the slightly messy room so that no traces of last night could be seen.

Then she opened the door.

But when the cold wind hit her face outside the room, she couldn't help but feel an indescribable sense of loss.

Once I step out of this door, Wuji and I can only be friends.

She pursed her lips and smiled bitterly.

People are greedy after all.

Greedy people will become more and more unhappy.

Shaking her head and smiling, her mood improved.

Snowflakes had already started falling outside, landing on the ground and scattering into small snowflakes.

Looking at the sky, it seemed like it would snow for a long time, and the ground would accumulate a thick layer.She loved snow when she was a child because her mother worked hard and was very strict with her. Only when it snowed, they would stay quietly in the house, leaning against the warm stove, telling stories to each other.

It was very happy.

Just like last night.

She looked around the courtyard and saw many plants. After a while, the snow started to fall, covering everything in silver, making it beautiful.

Unfortunately, the large pine tree in the center of the courtyard had not been pruned for many years and had grown too vigorously. She didn't know if it would be broken by the snow.

She was worried.

But she didn't dare to say anything because she was not the mistress here and couldn't be too assertive.

"Hua Chao, why are you sighing at the pine tree?"

Mi Xingli smiled and approached.

Hua Chao asked curiously, "Miss, aren't you supposed to be studying ancient calendars in the palace at this time?"

Mi Xingli shrugged, "It's New Year's Day today. Even if I'm a prince of a country, I should take a break, right? I'll steal an hour of laziness today and go later!"

"It's time to take a break!"

Hua Chao nodded with a smile. She had a good impression of this Chu country's lady. She didn't have the arrogance of a noble family at all.

And she treated her well.

Mi Xingli looked at her with a smile, "Hua Chao, why does your complexion look so much better after just one night?"

"Oh, um..."

Hua Chao was a little flustered, but quickly calmed down, "I slept well last night, so my complexion naturally improved."

Mi Xingli raised her eyebrows slightly, "It seems that what the ancient calendar says is indeed correct. Balancing yin and yang can indeed help improve one's energy..."

"Ah, you!"

Hua Chao was startled and pretended not to understand, "I don't understand cultivation. Miss, your words are too profound. I, I don't understand."

Mi Xingli raised an eyebrow and lowered her voice, "I saw it all. Why bother hiding it? Hua Chao, how many women in this world can compare to you? Are you really willing to sneak around like this?"

"You..."

Hua Chao was a little panicked and bit her lip, "I'm already satisfied as long as I can stay by his side. Miss, please don't spread this. Wuji is the Great Li's husband. If this matter gets out, it won't be good for him."

Mi Xingli shrugged, "Of course I won't spread it, but do you know, Princess Yuanyang actually came back last night!"

"Ah?"

Hua Chao's expression froze, and her mouth twitched with difficulty, "Miss, please don't scare me. Princess Yuanyang has only been to the husband's residence once. How could she..."

Mi Xingli shook her head, "Why would I scare you? Go and ask the gatekeeper if Princess Yuanyang has returned."

Hua Chao's face turned pale, and she tightly clenched her fingers, anxiously pacing back and forth, "What should we do? It's all my fault. I've caused trouble for Wuji. He is already a guest here, and now Princess Yuanyang has found out..."

Seeing her full of self-blame.

Mi Xingli felt a desire to fight rising in her heart.

In her heart, Hua Chao was Ying Wuji's official wife. How could she be treated like this?

As the first Chu country's lady, I disagree!

She grabbed Hua Chao's hand, walked quickly to the main hall, and pressed her onto a chair, "Don't panic! This matter is not as bad as you think. The position of that brat in the Li royal family is completely contrary to being a guest!"

"But..."

"There's nothing to worry about!"

Mi Xingli waved her hand, "Think about it carefully. You were clearly... doing that kind of thing, and Princess Yuanyang found out, but she didn't expose you. She even let you sleep until you woke up naturally. Don't you understand what this means?"

Hua Chao was stunned for a moment, not knowing how to answer.

Mi Xingli smiled and pinched her chin, smiling like a rogue, "It means that the royal family will turn a blind eye to you, my beauty! Don't make yourself so humble. Even if you consider yourself the mistress here, no one will say anything about you!"

Hua Chao couldn't believe it, but thinking about it, it seemed to be true. Otherwise, there would be no way to explain Princess Yuanyang's behavior.

She felt a little hopeful but still worried, "Is it really like this?"

Mi Xingli snapped her fingers, "I am the Chu country's lady. No one understands the royal family better than me! Believe it if you want, or continue to be a punching bag if you don't. I don't care. I'm going to study the ancient calendar. See you tonight, my beauty!"

After speaking, she flicked Hua Chao's cheek with her finger and left the husband's residence with a smile.

"This..."

Hua Chao clasped her hands in front of her chest and muttered to herself, "Can it really be like this?"

She sat in the main hall for a long time. Her originally calm state of mind became restless again.

In the midst of her daze.Footsteps came from outside the door.

When she looked outside and saw the person, she couldn't help but be overjoyed.

She quickly greeted him, "Wuji! Why did you come back so early? Don't you have any official business to attend to today?"

Wuji smiled and said, "Even if I'm busy, I have to come back to accompany you! Hua Chaojie, why did you wake up so early? Did you get enough sleep?"

"Of course!"

Hua Chao smiled and nodded. Even if she didn't get enough sleep, she would still wake up when Wuji returned.

She helped Wuji brush off the snowflakes from his hair and said gently, "It's cold. Let me cook some wine for you to warm up."

"No need! I'm warm enough with you. Why drink?"

Wuji playfully took Hua Chao's slightly cold hand and held it in his palm to warm it.

Hua Chao's cheeks turned slightly red. When she first met Wuji, he often said these things, but it was all just joking at the time, and she didn't take it seriously.

But now...

Although it was the same words, she couldn't resist them anymore.

And this is the main hall of the Marquis Mansion. Could it be that what the young lady said is true?

Wuji held her hand and lightly kissed the back of it. "Hua Chaojie! We finally have some free time. Let's go out for a walk?"

"Where do you want to go?"

Hua Chao let him fool around and felt a sense of happiness in her heart.

Wuji thought for a moment and said, "I suddenly remembered that we haven't given out the year-end bonuses for the bookstore and theater troupe. Let's go to the city and distribute their bonuses!"

"Year-end bonuses?"

Hua Chao asked in confusion, "What is that?"

Wuji explained, "It's the year-end profit sharing! The bookstore and theater troupe were so prosperous last year. How can we, as the bosses, let our employees have no money to use during the New Year? If we don't give them bonuses, they might become demotivated next year, right?"

Hua Chao couldn't help but laugh. "Don't worry! I have already given them their bonuses. You don't need to trouble yourself!"

"... "

Wuji quickly said, "That won't do! Even though we are both bosses, the bonuses you gave are yours. They can only think about how good you are. What if you kick me out next year? Anyway, I have to give them bonuses again, and you can't stop me!"

Hua Chao knew he was joking and saw his pleading expression. Her eyes became even more tender. "Alright, alright! I'll go with you."

"Then let's go!"

Wuji smiled and whispered in her ear, "Consider it a wedding feast for them!"

Hua Chao felt her heart pounding and couldn't help but blush. A wedding feast. This is a wedding feast. She felt surrounded by an indescribable sense of happiness.

When she came back to her senses, she found herself holding hands with Wuji and walking from the main hall to the courtyard.

Seeing the pine tree covered in accumulated snow, a sense of anticipation welled up in her heart. She took a deep breath and gathered her courage to say, "Wuji! If it snows heavily, this pine tree will be crushed. I want to trim it. Is that okay?"

"Of course! I am yours, and everything I have is yours. Why do you even need to ask me about trimming a pine tree?"

Wuji laughed and then waved to a few servants.

The servants came over with scissors.

Hua Chao couldn't stop smiling, and her gaze couldn't bear to leave Wuji's face.

Like this, they held hands and got on the carriage.

Resting her arm on Wuji's shoulder, she felt as happy as if she were dreaming.

Wuji turned his head to look at her and felt both joy and a hint of sourness in his heart.

He took a deep breath and then held her face, kissing her deeply.

Hua Chao let out a soft moan and clumsily responded with enthusiasm.

The employees of the bookstore were not from wealthy families and mostly lived in the south of the city.

The actors of the theater troupe, on the other hand, had some savings and mostly lived in the west of the city.

However, the carriage did not go to the south or west of the city. Instead, it returned to Shangmo Bookstore first. Since they were distributing bonuses, they couldn't just give out silver coins directly. When Hua Chao distributed the bonuses last time, she prepared some red pouches, and there were still plenty left after distributing them. They were just enough to hold the silver coins.

Moreover, they were red, which coincided with their joyous occasion.

So, at Hua Chao's insistence, the carriage returned to Shangmo Bookstore first.

When they got off the carriage, Hua Chao sneezed.

"Hua Chaojie, what's wrong?"

Wuji was startled and quickly supported her. He touched her smooth forehead but didn't feel any fever.

Hua Chao waved her hand. "It's nothing. I'll go get the silver coins and pouches."

"No! What if you catch a cold? Let's warm up for a while first!"

Wuji insisted and held her hand, leading her to her room.

Although Hua Chao couldn't be considered fragile, she didn't have any cultivation, so she was prone to minor illnesses and accidents. Today was colder than usual, and if she kept running around outside, she might catch a cold.She did not refute and obediently sat down under Ying Wuji's command. After all, she was not in a hurry to distribute dividends to the partners. She wanted to be alone with Ying Wuji.

Watching him busy setting up the stove, even though the fire had not started yet, her heart was already warming up.

After a while.

Ying Wuji brought the warm stove over, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. "This won't do! Let's not go out for now. I'll teach you the basics of cultivation first. I don't expect you to achieve high cultivation, but at least have a healthier body and avoid getting sick!"

"Mhmm!"

Hua Chao gently agreed. She also wanted to cultivate quickly, not caring about the level of cultivation or getting sick.

She just thought that breaking through the realm of rebirth could increase her lifespan and make her look much younger. Then she wouldn't have to worry about aging before she had spent enough time with him.

Ying Wuji had her sit cross-legged on the bed and chose a cultivation technique that was the easiest to break through. He then infused a strand of true energy into her meridians and slowly activated it.

With his control over true energy, he could easily help Hua Chao achieve the basics in the shortest amount of time.

After a stick of incense, a small circulation of energy was completed.

"Do you remember the route?"

"I roughly remember!"

Hua Chao felt warmth throughout her body.

Ying Wuji smiled and said, "Although this technique mainly focuses on nourishing the spirit and preserving youth, it is also enough to strengthen the body. Today, you should thoroughly practice this small circulation. Do you understand?"

Although he said it with a smile, there was a hint of dominance in his tone.

Hua Chao didn't reject this feeling, and even felt that he seemed more like the head of the family. However, she still asked, "Are we not distributing dividends to the partners?"

"Of course we will, but not today. We'll wait until your body can withstand the cold!"

Ying Wuji smiled, "I'll go prepare some medicinal herbs to help with your cultivation. I'll come back later to check your progress. If you haven't completed ten small circulations, I'll be angry!"

Hua Chao pursed her lips and said, "Alright!"

With that, she closed her eyes and entered a state of cultivation.

Ying Wuji breathed a sigh of relief and quietly left the room.

With a wave of his dagger.

Let's go!

...

Qingjiang Palace.

Ying Wuji came out of the training room panting.

Using that technique really consumed a lot of energy!

Indeed, everything comes at a price.

Even his extraordinary spiritual fetus could barely handle it after only using it twice.

Li Caimei was already anxious because Ying Wuji had been inside for almost two incense sticks' worth of time. If it had taken any longer, she might have rushed in to prevent Ying Wuji from losing control.

Seeing him come out in such a state, she quickly expressed her concern, "Are you okay? Why did it consume so much energy?"

Zhao Ning also showed a hint of doubt and grabbed Ying Wuji's wrist.

Only then did Li Caimei breathe a sigh of relief, "Although the true energy consumption was significant, it should be stable now. Wuji, what were you doing just now? Why did it..."

Ying Wuji quickly explained, "Actually, I had already finished healing, but for some reason, I suddenly had a realization about the technique I had been studying intensively a few days ago. I was afraid of missing this opportunity, as I don't know when the next moment of enlightenment will come. So I forcefully continued my seclusion for a while longer!"

"Technique?"

Zhao Ning didn't quite understand.

Ying Wuji took out a dagger from his boot and swung it in the air.

There were no major changes.

But a crack appeared in the air.

Snowflakes drifted in from one corner of the crack and disappeared into thin air, only to reappear from another corner after a moment.

Zhao Ning was astonished, "Is this Ying Shisan's technique?"

"Hehe! I managed to obtain it."

Ying Wuji smiled, "If I have another realization, I will be able to completely master this technique within a month. I will teach it to you all then. It's getting late, let's go!"

Zhao Ning couldn't help but smile. According to the king, he had been envious of this technique for a long time and had tried to persuade Ying Shisan to teach it to him several times.

He had even resorted to bribery and deception.

But Ying Shisan didn't budge.

Unexpectedly, Ying Wuji was so generous.

It seemed that he truly regarded himself as a member of the Li royal family.

She nodded with a smile, "Alright! Let's go!"

...

There was a tower in the middle of the lake near the Li residence. Usually, literati and elegant scholars would gather here.

But today was the first day of the Lunar New Year, and even scholars had to stay at home with their families.

In addition, the lake was covered in a layer of ice, making it difficult for boats to pass through. As a result, the tower was deserted, and with the mysterious person clearing the area, there was no one left.

This mysterious person was none other than Ying Wuji and his two companions.

Instead of going to Li Caitan's residence to meet him, they chose to summon him here because they felt that this meeting was somewhat out of the ordinary.

During their last meeting, Li Caitan had already explained everything that needed to be explained. The fact that there was an additional important report this time indicated that this matter was likely a recent development.She had been in the Li family courtyard all along.

What new things could happen?

Most likely, the only possibility was that someone had come to meet her.

Since it was a meeting, the Li family courtyard might not be completely sealed off, so it would be better to bring her out.

This time, they had come prepared and no one knew which member of the royal family or the Li family they were.

The three of them were waiting on the top floor of the tower.

Before long.

There was a knock on the door.

Zhao Ning made a soft sound of agreement, and the door was opened.

A middle-aged man watched as Li Caimei entered and then closed the door.

"Sister!"

Li Caimei stood up to greet her, unable to hide her smile.

Li Caitan smiled faintly and discreetly glanced at the seating arrangement of the three people, confirming that Zhao Ning was sitting in the middle, with Li Caimei and Ying Wuji sitting on either side.

That's good.

This silly sister isn't too stupid.

But you have such a big heart, bringing your original wife and mistress to see your sister?

She patted Li Caimei's hand and bowed to the two of them, "Greetings, Your Highness, greetings, Lord Husband!"

Zhao Ning smiled faintly, "No need for formalities! Please sit!"

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

Li Caitan took a seat opposite them, and Li Caimei sat next to her.

It had originally felt like an interrogation, but with her sitting like this, the atmosphere suddenly became much more relaxed.

Zhao Ning smiled, "Why did you call us here this time?"

Li Caitan didn't hide anything and directly recounted the events of last night, without any reservations.

Including her internal struggle.

Her attitude was quite sincere.

Zhao Ning listened very satisfied.

Ying Wuji, however, was a bit curious. He had also seen fireworks for the first time last night, and it couldn't have been Tang Tang who brought them. Of course, it couldn't have been himself either.

So, there was only one person left.

Danzi?

But didn't this guy say that he no longer wanted anything to do with Li Caitan?

Why did he come on New Year's Eve to set off fireworks and not want to reveal his identity? Was he planning to say goodbye to the past?

But that's not the point.

He was very curious about Nangong Yan's physique.

This kind of Qi purifier was a perfect match for Li Caitan's Primordial Qi.

If they could be combined in one person, who knows what kind of monster could be cultivated.

And he had already burst out with Primordial Qi, and he was already of the Qian Kingdom royal bloodline. If he could figure out Nangong Yan's cultivation method...

Ying Wuji smiled and looked at Li Caitan, "It's clear now. You cooperate with the royal family, go undercover with Nangong Yan, then work together to eliminate the Ji Alliance, and then extract the cultivation method of her Qi. It's a win-win situation!"

Li Caitan nodded, "That's what I was thinking, but I still need the approval of Your Highness."

She could talk to Ying Wuji for a few words, after all, she could treat him as a brother-in-law.

But facing Zhao Ning, her legitimate brother-in-law, she couldn't be too reckless, and she had to be polite no matter what she did.

Zhao Ning pondered for a moment, then nodded, "Alright! Today, we haven't seen you. The person who summoned you here is the executioner of the royal family. The purpose of seeing you is to force out the cultivation method of Primordial Qi."

"Good!"

Li Caitan nodded, immediately understanding Zhao Ning's meaning.

Last time, she didn't immediately agree to Nangong Yan, so she must have had some doubts in her heart.

So, on the royal family's side, they needed some push to gain Nangong Yan's trust.

After thinking for a moment, she smiled and said, "You can completely trust me. Send a Heart Devouring Pill before sunset!"

"Sister!"

Li Caimei exclaimed, the Heart Devouring Pill was a special poison of the Li royal family, if it was not taken with the Li royal family's antidote within the time limit, it would definitely lead to heart failure and death. However, before the poison took effect, the person who took it would be immune to all poisons, and their meridians would become several times stronger.

This was a way to show loyalty.

Li Caitan smiled and gave her a reassuring look.

Zhao Ning pondered for a moment, stood up and said, "Someone will deliver the Heart Devouring Pill to you before sunset. Brother Ying, let's go out first and let Caimei and Sister wait for a while!"

"Okay!"

Ying Wuji smiled and left the room with her.

After the door closed, Li Caitan lowered her voice and asked, "Aren't you being too reckless? Even if you're playing both sides, you can't let the two boats collide!"

In her current situation, what she should hope for the most was for Li Caimei to stabilize her position in the royal family.

In a situation like this, it was very unfavorable for the Li sisters' survival, and she should be extremely opposed to it.

But.

She was Li Caitan.

What she was thinking in her mind right now was not her own safety.

But... she felt that it was necessary to teach this foolish sister a lesson, what the correct way to have both fish and bear's paw was.She didn't care about Li Caimei's blushing face and said seriously, "Remember! If you're playing both sides, the most important thing is to never let the two sides meet. Otherwise, you'll fall into the water and not even know how you died."

...

Outside the door.

"Achoo!"

Ying Wuji sneezed and felt a cold breeze on his back for some reason.

Zhao Ning asked in confusion, "What's wrong with you?"

"Caught a cold?"

Ying Wuji was a bit puzzled. He thought his extraordinary spiritual fetus was as strong as iron, so how could he catch a cold?

Zhao Ning pondered, "You worked so hard last night, it's easy to catch a cold!"

Ying Wuji: "..."

He didn't know if it was an illusion, but he seemed to sense resentment in those words.

He wasn't a fool. He knew that Zhao Ning's kindness towards him was definitely not just because of "love for talent."

If it was just love for talent, how could they have done that on their wedding night?

It was probably because she had never lived as a woman since she was young. Even her parents had never treated her as a daughter.

This led to her being quite clueless about romantic feelings between men and women.

Ying Wuji couldn't say for sure if she was jealous, but he could sense a faint sense of disappointment in her heart.

After a moment of silence, he quickly changed the topic, "According to Li Caitan, even this group of guards has been infiltrated!"

Zhao Ning waved his hand, "It doesn't matter! With more people, there will always be loopholes. According to the arrangements of the royal family, as long as the number of infiltrators does not exceed ten percent, they won't cause much trouble. But what I'm most curious about now is the purpose of Nangong Yan's visit this time."

This person seems a bit strange.

Although her cultivation hasn't reached the stage of breaking through the fetal transformation realm, she shouldn't be underestimated.

Just her peculiar true energy alone shows limitless potential.

It was too costly to send her as a prisoner from the Li Kingdom.

Combined with Nangong Ling's speed in selling him out, as well as the hateful remarks she made when she was brought here, it's not certain whether her position is in line with the Nangong family.

But one thing can be confirmed.

She came for the Ji Clan Alliance.

Ying Wuji pondered for a moment, "Since she came for the Ji Clan Alliance, she must have also communicated with the Wei and Han families. This guard is probably from the Wei and Han families. The Ji Clan Alliance can only succeed by using the Muye Stele, and Nangong Yan also seems to have hinted at the royal family about the usage of the Muye Stele."

She hasn't received any favors from the royal family, so she wouldn't give them benefits for no reason.

Obviously, she wants us to do the hard work and entice us to open the tomb plate!

After Nangong Ling escaped, although the tomb plate was officially open to the world and relatively close to the Wei and Han territories, it was still under the control of the Ying and Zhao royal families. Even if the outside world puts pressure on it, as long as the Ying and Zhao families don't agree, no one can enter the tomb plate.

Zhao Ji was indeed tempted by the revival of the Ying Clan bloodline, but he wasn't a fool. Otherwise, he wouldn't have ignored Nangong Yan for so long.

Zhao Ning frowned slightly, "Just relying on bloodline enticement, does she really think she can get close to the Muye Stele? Isn't that too wishful thinking?"

Ying Wuji smacked his lips, "She's so confident, she must have prepared a big move. Let's see how she plans to arrange Li Caitan!"

"Alright!"

Zhao Ning agreed and turned to look at Ying Wuji, "Wuji! I will leave for the new territory this afternoon and may not be able to catch up with this operation. Honestly, I don't trust Li Caitan that much, so you must keep a close eye on her. If she wants to play both the Nangong family and the royal family, you must not show any mercy. Those who play both sides don't deserve to live!"

Ying Wuji: "..."

Zhao Ning suddenly realized the ambiguity and quickly corrected himself, "Of course, I'm not talking about you!"

Ying Wuji: "..."

It was fine if you didn't explain, but now that you've explained, why do I feel even more uncomfortable?

The two fell silent and looked at the lake covered in ice and the heavy snow that had been falling since they left the palace.

After some time, Li Caimei came out of the room and smiled, "Let's go!"

Ying Wuji smiled and asked, "What were you talking about with sister just now?"

"Nothing, nothing!"

Li Caimei smiled and waved her hand, but she felt a bit regretful.

She understood Li Caitan's feelings.

But she didn't understand the use of learning these "playing both sides" skills.

Li Caitan not only taught her how to "play both sides," but also taught her corresponding reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance techniques.

She was forced to listen for a long time.

But she didn't really absorb much of it.

In the end, she could only use socializing as an excuse to brush it off.

She turned her head and looked at Ying Wuji, her bright eyes filled with sweetness.

She loved this rascal so much.

She probably wouldn't need these skills in her lifetime, right?Ying Wuji was a little confused. With such affectionate eyes, he should have enjoyed it, but he felt a bit uncomfortable.

...

The Marquis's Mansion.

Li Caimei held Zhao Ning's arm and walked into the gate with a smile.

Although she spent most of her time in the deep palace, she had also attended many occasions with Zhao Ning. Because of Zhao Ning's identity, every time they appeared in front of outsiders, they had to show their affection as a couple, and their behavior naturally had to be more intimate.

This time, as the Crown Princess, it was natural to do the same.

She walked around the inner courtyard with great interest.

Her steps were light, leaving shallow footprints on the snow.

She quickly made a circle.

She only stopped briefly in front of Hua Chao and Mi Xingli's window.

Ying Wuji's heart was about to jump out of his throat.

Fortunately, Li Caimei didn't notice anything and wrinkled her nose with a smile, saying, "Marquis! Shouldn't we assign some maidservants to the young lady? Her room is really messy!"

Ying Wuji secretly breathed a sigh of relief and pouted, "The young lady said that she calls it organized chaos, ordinary people can't see the tricks in it at all. She also said that she has gained some insights into the ancient calendar recently, and there are formations everywhere inside, so she told the servants not to go in."

"I see!"

Li Caimei nodded thoughtfully and glanced at Mi Xingli's room.

Zhao Ning smiled faintly, "Father said that Mi Xingli has an extremely high comprehension ability and has already gained many insights from the ancient calendar. After returning to the court, I should also find some time to study it."

"Indeed!"

Ying Wuji agreed, and then remembered the favor that Mi Xingli had asked him to do. He had forgotten about it because there were too many things in the morning. He needed to discuss it with his father-in-law later when he entered the palace.

Li Caimei chuckled, "I heard that there is a batch of palace chefs in the dowry from Yuanyang. The food in the Marquis's Mansion is even more sumptuous than in the palace. I wonder if I can experience it."

"Of course, follow me!"

Ying Wuji smiled. Today, he had successfully fooled everyone... right?

The following process went smoothly.

There were no outsiders.

The three of them quietly had a meal.

After the meal, Li Caimei saw that there were no servants around, so she tugged at Ying Wuji's sleeve and whispered, "I also want to go to the Qian Kingdom Embassy and the Shangmo Bookstore to see. It seems that you have stayed in these two places longer."

Ying Wuji: "......"

Seeing him silent, Li Caimei couldn't help but ask, "Is it not allowed?"

Ying Wuji spread his hands, "Your Highness will be going on a campaign in the afternoon, so why not let her rest?"

"Alright!"

Li Caimei was a little disappointed, but still nodded.

The important matters should take precedence.

But she would have to wait until Zhao Ning returned from the new territory to go and see.

Seeing her nod, Ying Wuji finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhao Ning looked at the sky and said, "We need to prepare for the expedition. Let's go early!"

Ying Wuji frowned and hesitated, "This..."

Zhao Ning was puzzled, "Don't you want to go?"

In this formal occasion, it was reasonable for the Crown Princess and Ying Wuji, the Crown Prince's supporter, to attend.

"It's not that I don't want to go!"

Ying Wuji hesitated for a long time, but still sighed, "Forget it! Let's go. This expedition is still somewhat important."

Zhao Ning became even more puzzled, "Wuji, just say what you want to say!"

Ying Wuji felt a little embarrassed, "Since I had a sudden realization just now, I have been thinking about the content of that supreme technique, and... another flash of inspiration!"

Zhao Ning: "......"

Two realizations in a row?

What kind of cultivation monster was he?

She couldn't help but smile, "This time, we are only assisting the people. It won't be a big problem if you don't attend! Opportunities for such realizations are rare. You should go into seclusion as soon as possible!"

"Alright..."

Ying Wuji reluctantly nodded.

Li Caimei felt a little disappointed. Although she couldn't communicate with Ying Wuji in formal occasions, she didn't want to be separated from him at all.

She whispered, "After you come out of seclusion today, can you come to Qingjiang Palace to find me?"

Seeing Ying Wuji nod, a smile finally appeared on her face.

After watching Zhao Ning and Li Caimei leave, Ying Wuji slipped out of the Marquis's Mansion and hurried to the Shangmo Bookstore.

He pushed open the door.

"Hua Chao, let me check how your cultivation is going!"

After checking her progress, Ying Wuji couldn't help but be surprised, "You actually succeeded in cultivating ten small cycles? Let's go and distribute red envelopes now!"

"No!"

Hua Chao hugged him with a smile. Although they had only been apart for a short time, and most of the time was spent on cultivation, she missed him terribly.

She raised her head, her pretty face slightly red, "How about spending the afternoon at home, just the two of us?"

Ying Wuji: "......"...

Afternoon.

Zhao Ji prepared a grand expedition ceremony for Zhao Ning.

A total of 30,000 royal guards from the Wang family left Jiangcheng, heading north, under the watchful eyes of the people of the city.

The people only knew that they were going to help the disaster victims.

But the major families in Jiangcheng knew very well that with Zhao Ning leading the troops, the battle for recruits between the Zhao, Wei, and Han families had entered a fierce stage.

They couldn't afford to fight.

Because Zhao Ning was always clear-headed and would not lead the troops into the territories of the Wei and Han families. However, she would definitely guard the borders of the Wei and Han territories. As long as a commoner stepped out of the Wei and Han territories, no one could stop them from migrating to a new land.

And the elite troops of the royal family would also restrain most of the forces of the Wei and Han families.

This process could last for many days.

After the army set off.

At nightfall.

Ying Wuji accompanied Hua Chao to have dinner and then went to the palace.

Hua Chao didn't stop him. After all, they had been together for the whole afternoon and had done everything she wanted to do. It would be unreasonable to interfere with him doing his official duties.

Ying Wuji originally wanted to directly talk to Zhao Ji about the matter of the observatory, but Zhao Ji had not slept all night last night and had been busy with the grand court meeting and Zhao Ning's expedition today. After returning to the palace, he went straight to sleep.

So Ying Wuji could only meditate in place and wait for Zhao Ji to wake up.

When Zhao Ji woke up.

It was already the hour of Hai.

When he saw Ying Wuji at the door, he was quite surprised. "You brat, if you don't go home, do you want me to stay up all night to pass on the message to you?"

"It's not like that!"

Ying Wuji smiled and said, "Mi Xingli has a request. She asked me to pass it on to Father King, but I was busy all day and forgot. If I go back empty-handed, it will inevitably affect the relationship between Li and Chu!"

Zhao Ji raised an eyebrow. "She wants to use the observatory?"

Ying Wuji was surprised. "Father King, how did you know?"

Zhao Ji smiled and said, "Never mind how I know. Just tell me what conditions she wants to exchange."

Ying Wuji replied, "She wants to share all her insights about ancient calendars."

"That's worth it. Approved!"

Zhao Ji waved his hand and couldn't help but laugh. "To comprehend ancient calendars, one cannot leave the observatory. Since she encountered a bottleneck in her comprehension, I could tell that she wanted to use it. But I deliberately didn't show up. After tormenting her for so long, she finally decided to share her insights."

Hmm!

As expected, the old man was as cunning as ever.

But Ying Wuji quickly noticed another piece of information.

There weren't many things in this world that were worth Zhao Ji playing tricks on, but Mi Xingli...

He couldn't help but ask, "Are her insights worth such a big fuss from you?"

Zhao Ji sighed, "Don't underestimate the heroes of the world. This girl from the Kingdom of Chu is extraordinary! If one day she can break through the realm of comprehending the divine, I'm afraid the whole world will tremble in fear."

Ying Wuji: "..."

So exaggerated?

From the sound of it, when she reaches the realm of comprehending the divine, she will be able to grasp extremely powerful divine abilities.

In other words, what she has comprehended from the ancient calendars has already touched the edge of divine abilities.

What kind of monster is she?

Although comprehending ancient calendars depends on chance, Ying Wuji didn't believe that Mi Xingli's chance was so terrifying. Considering the performance of the people from the Kingdom of Chu in the Tomb Plateau, it is very likely that she came with some knowledge related to ancient calendars, which is why she has such profound insights.

Zhao Ji called Li Gonggong, "Go to the Marquis's Mansion and summon the girl from the Kingdom of Chu so that she doesn't have to wait anxiously!"

"Yes!"

Li Gonggong answered and left directly.

Zhao Ji looked at Ying Wuji, "How did you arrange things with Nangong Yan?"

Ying Wuji said in a deep voice, "She voluntarily took the Corpse Heart Pill!"

"Oh?"

Zhao Ji was quite surprised. He didn't expect that in such a critical moment, Li Caitan would show the greatest sincerity to the royal family.

She was really different from the previous Li Caitan.

Ying Wuji explained the whole story.

Zhao Ji smiled, "I thought Nangong Yan was playing some tricks, but it's still the same old game of the Zhou royal family."

Just at that moment.

A figure appeared out of thin air.

It was the expert in the Martial Realm who guarded Li Caitan. According to Zhao Ning, he was not a living person, but through special methods, he retained half of his consciousness to serve the Li Kings of past generations.

His strength was terrifying.

He had a name, Zhao Kui.

"Your Majesty!"

"Speak!"

"Yes!"

Zhao Kui nodded, "Nangong Yan has come again and has reached a cooperation with Li Caitan. Their first target is to incite abnormal changes in the Muye Stele and force Li Qian to reopen the Tomb Plateau."

Zhao Ji was interested, "Oh? What is she planning to do?"

The Tomb Plateau is now jointly guarded by the Li and Qian royal families. He really couldn't figure out how Nangong Yan could achieve it.Zhao Kui's face was expressionless: "Nangong Yan didn't say, but the person who delivered the message this time secretly gave Li Caitan a mirror."

"A mirror!"

Zhao Ji furrowed his brows.

"The Capital of the Great Ming?"

Ying Wuji asked subconsciously, he was somewhat curious: "Isn't this place just a useless mirror world?"

Zhao Ji's expression was incredibly serious: "Who said it's useless?"

"Li Caitan!"

Ying Wuji said as a matter of course.

Zhao Ji scoffed: "A person who has never entered the core circle of our sect, is he worthy to know the secret of the Capital of the Great Ming?"

Ying Wuji: "......"

He was still too naive.

But of course, how could the Capital of the Great Ming, which was used as the only fixed gathering place for their sect, be useless?

Zhao Ji pondered for a moment, decided to explain it to him, and took a scroll from the bookshelf, spreading it out in front of him.

But before he had time to explain, Mi Xingli's voice came from outside.

"Your Majesty, the Lady Son has arrived."

"Perfect! Let her in!"

Zhao Ji's face showed a hint of joy.

A moment later.

Mi Xingli strode in, smiling as she performed a courtesy of an outer minister: "Your Majesty!"

Zhao Ji smiled: "Nephew, you came just in time, come and see what this picture is!"

To access the premium content, go to [ pawread.com ].

Mi Xingli glanced at the scroll, her expression instantly became somewhat brilliant.

She looked at Zhao Ji.

Then at Ying Wuji.

Finally, she looked at the expressionless Zhao Kui.

Her expression became more and more serious, even with a hint of fear.

"Your Majesty! You're not planning to send me into the Capital of the Great Ming, are you?"

(End of the chapter)