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Entering the palace gates, they walked along a long corridor paved with slabs of blue stone. In the center stood a majestic imperial hall, its golden glazed tiles shimmering brilliantly under the sunlight.
Before the palace was an expanse of green shade, ancient trees towering around the hall, contrasting beautifully with the red walls and yellow tiles, creating a scene of splendor.
Li Xiaonan clicked his tongue, a smile growing wider in his eyes. The palace! It was a place he had only seen on television before.
The guards led Li Xiaonan and his companions around the main hall and through a side door. Li Xiaonan felt a pang of regret, wondering what the grand court of the Qingyu City palace looked like and whether it featured a golden dragon throne.
He shook his head and followed the guards as they turned left and right until they arrived at a place called Qinghua Palace.
Li Xiaonan scratched his head, realizing that the emperor's primary consort must be gravely ill. The entry into the palace had been surprisingly simple, with only a few brief exchanges and no rigorous inspections. If she weren't seriously ill, it wouldn't have been so easy to enter.
“Zhao Gonggong, this is the person who will unveil the Imperial Edict today,” one of the guards said with a bow.
Li Xiaonan scrutinized the eunuch, thinking to himself: What a pity! I wonder what the private life of a eunuch is like.
Zhao Gonggong, whose full name was Zhao Quan, was in his fifties and had a kind face. He held considerable power within the palace. Originally serving as the emperor's personal eunuch, he had also taken on the role of general overseer since the Empress fell ill and moved to Qinghua Palace.
Zhao Quan frowned slightly; having seen countless people, he immediately understood Li Xiaonan's gaze and felt displeased. However, out of respect for royal decorum, he restrained himself.
He assessed Li Xiaonan and his companions, his gaze finally resting on Ming Ruoyun. A glimmer of insight appeared in his eyes as he thought: This woman is extraordinary! It seems that among these three, she is the true expert.
Ming Ruoyun disliked being scrutinized in such a manner and shifted her gaze to Li Xiaonan, her mind racing with various speculations about his true identity.
Meanwhile, Li Xiaonan observed every move Zhao Quan made. The old eunuchs in the palace were all shrewd individuals. Fortunately, he had concealed his cultivation early on, even masking his own aura.
"Come with me!"
Li Xiaonan shivered; the voice was sharper than that of a male duck, piercing and grating. If a eunuch practiced Sound Attack, its power would undoubtedly be formidable!
Qinghua Palace, with its elegant pavilions surrounded by deep green pools, was covered in floating duckweed, clear and emerald.
In the midst of the palace, there existed such a pure land. Li Xiaonan smiled as he welcomed the sunlight, feeling its warmth. He couldn't help but clench his fist, Inner Thoughts: Everything I have now, I will cherish it well; as for the past, let it remain in the past.
The leader, Zhao Quan, was momentarily stunned, feeling as if Li Xiaonan's figure had become ethereal, giving off an unreal sensation. He swallowed hard and quickened his pace to the entrance, announcing, "The one who has revealed the list has arrived!"
"Come in!" Li Xiaonan was taken aback. From the voice, the speaker seemed to be a young man around twenty years old. Previously, he had heard from the commoners that after the Empress fell ill, the Celebrated Emperor had neglected state affairs and stayed by his beloved wife's side all day. Therefore, it should be the reigning emperor remaining in Qinghua Palace at this moment; however, the voice did not match that age.
Zhao Quan suddenly reminded him, "Young brother, being from an imperial family is different from other places; you must be cautious with your words and actions."
Li Xiaonan felt grateful and immediately found Zhao the Eunuch much more agreeable. After all, in a place like the palace where deceit was rampant, someone who could kindly remind him was certainly not a bad person. He chuckled and said, "Thank you, Zhao Gonggong; Li Xiaonan will remember this."
Behind him, Ming Ruoyun pondered thoughtfully. So the benefactor's surname is Li and his name is Xiao Nan; I must remember this name well. I will repay this life-saving grace!
"Creek—" Zhao Quan nodded and pushed open the rosewood door. Truly worthy of an imperial household; even a Cultivator might not afford such craftsmanship.
A strong scent of sandalwood wafted from within the room. Li Xiaonan frowned; this was Ambergris, known for its calming effects. However, given the density of the scent in the room, it made Li Xiaonan associate it with another purpose: preservation—preventing corpses from decaying.
A sense of foreboding suddenly filled his heart.
Li Xiaonan and his companions followed Zhao Quan into the room as he quickly closed the door behind them.
Li Xiaonan wished he could use Fiery Eyes; the visibility inside the room was too poor. The windows and doors were tightly shut, and smoke swirled around, allowing only a vague glimpse of some simple furnishings. A curtain separated the outer hall from the bedroom, and he could faintly see someone sitting beside the bed.
"Your Highness, they have arrived!"
Li Xiaonan was startled to realize that the young man who had spoken earlier was actually the Crown Prince. Ming Ruoyun instinctively covered her mouth with her hand and took two steps back.
Naturally, Li Xiaonan was very interested in the Crown Prince, but his gaze shifted to Ming Ruoyun. He was even more curious about her unusual reaction.
The person on the bed stood up and slowly walked to the curtain. Backlit by the dim light and shrouded in swirling smoke, his features were obscured. All Li Xiaonan could make out was a jade pendant hanging from his waist, gently swaying as he moved.
He lifted the curtain and looked at Li Xiaonan and the others.
Li Xiaonan smiled slightly; so this was the emperor of the mortal realm. To be honest, Qingjing Year looked quite ordinary—thick eyebrows, single eyelids, and thin lips—he had a face that could easily blend into a crowd without anyone being able to tell him apart. Yet this man exuded an aura of authority that commanded respect without anger. Just this kingly presence alone was enough for him to stand face-to-face with a Cultivator.
Ming Ruoyun also recognized the newcomer, her eyes filled with disdain and a hint of anger as she glanced at the peonies on the windowsill.
Li Xiaonan noted her every move; this girl was indeed strange, as if she had some connection to Qingyu City.
Zhao Quan saw that none of them moved and quickly reminded them, "This is our Crown Prince! Shouldn't you pay your respects?"
Nine Phoenix frowned; kneeling was out of the question! This guy was neither Phoenix Maiden nor their leader—why should he kneel?
Ming Ruoyun's expression also reflected her displeasure, while Li Xiaonan remained silent with a smile.
Qingjing Year waved his hand dismissively. "No need for formalities." He understood very well that these three were not ordinary individuals; those who could calmly meet his gaze without being affected by his imposing presence were certainly not common folk.
Hope suddenly blossomed in his heart. For the past six months, hope and despair had been like twin brothers, tightly intertwined, alternating to torment his mind.
Originally, with such a major incident occurring in Qingyu City, he could have sought help from those two experts. However, they were currently traveling and left him with no choice but to post the Imperial Edict.
Li Xiaonan smiled, holding his fan with both hands and bowing slightly. "Commoner Li Xiaonan pays his respects to His Highness the Crown Prince. May I... first see the patient?"
Qingjing Year nodded and led everyone to the bedside. He blocked the view of the others and placed the patient's hand on the medicine pillow.
Li Xiaonan's brows furrowed even tighter. This hand was definitely not a woman's hand, nor was it a living person's hand!
The skin was grayish, with prominent joints; this was clearly a man's hand, and an old man's at that. Could it be! Li Xiaonan's eyes widened as he looked at Qingjing Year, who frowned slightly and unconsciously took a step back.
Li Xiaonan closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly grasped the man's wrist. A surge of True Essence Power scanned the patient's body. His expression remained calm and emotionless, but inside, a storm of curses erupted. Calcium oxide! This is a dead man! He has been dead for at least three months! How can I treat a corpse? Damn it, he's been dead for so long! If he had just passed away, perhaps the Nine-Turn Pill could save him, but now! Three months! The soul must have reported to the Underworld by now! Flower Rubbing! Damn it... (Here various curses are omitted.) Now it was Qingjing Year who appeared anxious, breathing rapidly as he watched.
After Li Xiaonan finished cursing in his mind, he withdrew his hand and stood up, beginning to pace. If he were to tell Qingjing Year the truth directly, it would surely lead to chaos; that would be too embarrassing.
"Report! The two experts have returned to Qingyu City!"
Qingjing Year showed joy on his face and urged, "Quickly invite them in!"
Li Xiaonan sighed; his rare "single" life had come to an end. However, an opportunity for him to escape had also arrived.
Before long, the door was pushed open, and someone exclaimed, "Why aren't the windows open? With so much Ambergris burning, what’s going on? Is someone dead?" Who else could be so unrestrained but that old rascal An Quan Tao!
"Jingnian pays respects to the two elders!"
"This is the palace! So much smoke!" Lu Nishang exclaimed as she bounced into the room, her adorable little head peeking out with a bright smile.
"They are..." Qingjing Year quickly changed the subject, glancing at the numerous women behind him.
"Oh, they are my boss's wives," An Quan Tao said grandly as he led everyone inside, while Zhao Quan hurriedly shut the door.
"Qingjing, I heard your mother is ill?" Dai Lizi asked.
"Yes... she has been sick for half a year... I beg the two of you to save her!" Qingjing Year said, dropping to his knees.
Li Xiaonan shook his head. What did it matter if one was born into a royal family? What did it matter if one was an emperor or a prince? In the face of true power, they all had to bow their heads. To mortals, cultivators were like celestial beings, capable of anything.
"Alright! I'll take a look!" An Quan Tao rolled up his sleeves and headed towards the inner room. "Hey! Boss, what are you doing here? Why didn't you notify me and Chestnut when you arrived?"
"Brother Xiaonan!" Lu Nishang leaped towards Li Xiaonan's younger brother. Li Xiaonan sighed as he swiftly caught her in his arms, only to be surprised when his own son rushed over, shouting, "Dad!"
Li Xiaonan sighed again, holding one in each arm. Anyone unaware of the situation would surely think he had a pair of adorable children.
He turned to An Quan Tao with a stern expression. "Do I need to inform you every time I do something? You're just in time; leave the small matter of treating illness to you. Ladies, let's step outside for some fresh air." With that, he slipped away.
He secretly breathed a sigh of relief; otherwise, he truly wouldn't know what to do with that corpse. He had already guessed that the person on the bed was definitely not the Empress but rather the current Emperor—Qing Yu Year.
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