Chapter 103: Chapter 73: The Royal Family’s Cultivation Secret History

Kunning Palace.

Lu Lin’er washed herself clean and used the fragrant powder bestowed by Your Majesty last month. Just a light whiff carried a rich floral scent.

Perhaps it was the nourishment from the hot spring water, her entire face appeared tender and rosy, as delicate as a peeled egg.

Especially the pair on her chest, Lu Lin’er had never personally breastfed her daughter, Zheng Yuhuan, always relying on four wet nurses to maintain her figure and cultivate her yang energy.

As for herself, she had been nurturing her body with precious things under the guidance of the palace aunt, awaiting Your Majesty’s arrival to serve well.

Just as she was combing her hair in front of the bronze mirror, the Chief Eunuch hurriedly walked in.

“This servant greets the Empress!”

Lu Lin’er quickly turned her head: “Lu Fu, has Your Majesty arrived? Quickly, quickly prepare the Silver Ear Snow Lotus Soup for Your Majesty.”

“Empress!”

Lu Fu stopped Lu Lin’er, saying: “Your Majesty has gone to Yonghe Palace.”

“Yonghe Palace?”

Lu Lin’er’s expression changed slightly: “How is that possible? Isn’t Yonghe Palace where the criminal woman Yang Huan resides? That place has already become the Cold Palace; all the eunuchs and palace maids have run away. What is Your Majesty doing there?”

“Replying to the Empress, today Yang Huan took advantage of the talent selection ceremony held in the Imperial Garden and tempted the eunuch guarding Yonghe Palace. She secretly disguised herself as a palace maid and ran to the Imperial Garden, startling Your Majesty’s sedan chair.”

“Using the Eldest Princess, Princess Yaoshi’s serious illness, she called away Your Majesty.”

“Bitch!!!”

Lu Lin’er gritted her teeth and said: “Daring to steal my favor, why isn’t that bitch Yang Huan dead yet?”

“The Eldest Princess is ill? Then call the Imperial Physician to diagnose, Yang Huan bears a great crime, Your Majesty at most will just take a look at Princess Yaoshi.”

Lu Lin’er continued: “Lu Fu, go guard Yonghe Palace, and as soon as Your Majesty comes out, bring him to me immediately.”

“Empress.”

Lu Fu continued: “This servant has been guarding outside Yonghe Palace. Your Majesty flew into a rage and executed all the palace attendants leaving Yonghe Palace and decreed the death of the Chief Imperial Doctor Liu Chen.”

“Hmph!”

Lu Lin’er sneered: “A group of ingrates who curry favor with the powerful, even if Consort Shuu makes a grave mistake, as long as Your Majesty does not punish her, she is still a consort!”

“How dare a group of servants humiliate a consort, they deserve to die!”

“And then?”

She shifted her tone: “After handling these matters, Your Majesty should have left by now, considering Yang Huan is the descendant of a criminal minister, there’s no reason for Your Majesty to stay overnight at Yonghe Palace.”

“You, quickly go and wait at Yonghe Palace, Your Majesty said he would come to Kunning Palace tonight, make sure to bring him over, understand?”

“Yes!”

Lu Fu hesitated for a moment, then said: “Empress, should we be cautious of Consort Shuu in the future?”

“Cautious of Consort Shuu? Why?”

“Your Majesty has been at Yonghe Palace for so long without emerging, if Consort Shuu regains favor, then…”

“Impossible!”

Lu Lin’er gritted her teeth and said: “Yang Huan is a descendant of a criminal minister, how could she regain favor?”

“Your Majesty!”

Lu Fu added: “In the palace, which woman doesn’t want to squeeze onto Your Majesty’s royal bed, like those women at today’s talent selection.”

“Tonight, Your Majesty went to Yonghe Palace, it’s hard to guarantee that Consort Shuu won’t use all her tricks.”

“What if Consort Shuu regains favor…”

Lu Lin’er frowned immediately: “Consort Shuu… Yang Huan!”

“Lu Fu, you go to Yonghe Palace first, and notify me of any changes at any time, I need to think it over carefully.”

“Yes!”

Watching Lu Fu’s departing figure, Lu Lin’er knit her brows tightly.

“Your Majesty has brought so many women into the palace, anything unexpected could happen. For the stability of the harem and the long-term prosperity of the Great Yu World, I must become a villain this once!”

“And Consort Shuu, Yang Huan… her identity predestines she cannot be a match or enemy to me, unless Your Majesty becomes foolish!”

Yonghe Palace.

Yang Huan leaned against Zheng Yi’s embrace, looking dreamily at Zheng Yi’s face, saying: “Your Majesty, it’s not that Huan’er deliberately deceives you, it’s that Huan’er really cannot survive.”

“If not for Yao’er, Qing’er, Ning’er still being so young…”

Zheng Yi kissed Yang Huan’s forehead, saying: “Huan’er, rest assured, in the future I won’t let anyone bully you.”

Yang Huan gently said: “Your Majesty, I am so happy. Even if I have to die tomorrow, I would willingly accept it!”

“Don’t speak of death.”

Zheng Yi tightened his embrace and said: “You are my woman, without my command, no one can let you die, understand?”

“I… understand.”

Liu Cheng’en had already driven everyone out of the room, and now only the two of them remained in the chamber.

Zheng Yi patiently comforted Yang Huan, and after a long time, she finally sat up, arranging her disheveled palace attire.

“Your Majesty.”

She seriously said: “My father… alas, he once said that the Vice Tower Master of Mayfly Tower, Fire Spirit, helped him that night to require him to do something Your Majesty would absolutely never agree to achieve.”

“Oh? What was it?”

Zheng Yi showed interest and asked: “I was puzzled before, what could a cultivator like Fire Spirit lack?”

“Even if he couldn’t obtain it, he could have come to me, and I would have fulfilled his wish, so why seek your father’s help?”

Yang Huan solemnly replied: “As the Lord of Great Yu, everything under the heavens belongs to Your Majesty, anything Your Majesty wishes to accomplish can be done.”

“But this matter… Your Majesty might truly be unable to do this.”

Zheng Yi frowned and asked: “What is it?”

“My father said that Fire Spirit made a very strange request of him that night.”

Yang Huan said: “After success, he wanted my father to assist him in… excavating the Emperor’s Mausoleum!”

“Excavating the Emperor’s Mausoleum?”

Zheng Yi’s tone turned peculiar, and his eyes suddenly brightened: “Excavating the Emperor’s Mausoleum! Excavating the Emperor’s Mausoleum!”

“Did he say which Emperor’s mausoleum he wishes to excavate?!”

Indeed!

How had he not thought of this for so long!

The Great Yu Dynasty was founded on the corpses of the Mayfly Sect and those dozens of cultivator clans. The founding Emperor, Zheng Mingsen himself, might well have been a cultivator.

At the very least, he partnered with other cultivator clans.

Otherwise, why would he imprison the Dongyun Clan descendants?

Or, perhaps, the Dongyun Clan was originally the ruler before Great Yu, but was overthrown by Zheng Mingsen to establish Great Yu!

And within his mausoleum, there must be records of cultivation secrets.

Perhaps it’s cultivation tools, perhaps cultivation secret techniques, all are possible!

No wonder Fire Spirit sought cooperation with Yang Xuansu.

No wonder Yang Huan said this is something Your Majesty could never achieve.

Indeed.

If it were truly Emperor Zhengyong, it would indeed be impossible to achieve.

What a joke.

As the Emperor, to actually dig up the Imperial Mausoleum.

If this matter gets out, let alone the Imperial Court, the entire Great Yu will be in chaos!

Those local princes and dukes with ambition will be the first to rebel against the Imperial Court.

Great Yu, although not founded on filial piety.

Yet filial piety holds an exceedingly high status in Great Yu, just below ’loyalty’.

However… I am not Emperor Zhengyong!

If I wish, I can completely excavate the Imperial Mausoleum without any psychological burden.

It’s just that it must be done more secretly!

Yang Huan furrowed her brows and said: “Not really, but I later researched the lives of Great Yu’s twenty-one emperors and found that Fire Spirit’s targets are just three emperors.”

“The first is the founding emperor, Emperor Mingwu.”

“He swept away the rule of the cultivators and established a mortal dynasty, surely possessing cultivation tools.”

“The second is the third emperor of our Great Yu Dynasty, Emperor Jingwen.”

“Legend has it that during his reign, he diligently governed, reinvigorating the nation, leading Great Yu to gradual stability and prosperity.”

“And according to historical records, in the eighteenth year of Jingwen, an immortal came from across the East Sea, whom Emperor Jingwen revered as the National Preceptor.”

“And due to this National Preceptor, Emperor Jingwen reigned for forty-one years, the longest reigning emperor in our Great Yu history!”

“The third one…”

At this point, Yang Huan looked up at Zheng Yi and said: “It’s the late Emperor.”

“Late Emperor?”

Zheng Yi murmured, isn’t that Emperor Zhengyong’s father?

“Yes!”

Yang Huan nodded vigorously: “The late Emperor, Emperor Tianqi.”

“During his reign, he heavily favored Xu Mujun, my father, and General of Yunzhou Miao Xiu, among others, rallying the Baiyue Race in Nanyue County and expelling the hostile Heiyue Tribe, supporting the Baiyue Tribe.”

“Thus occupying Nanyue County, expanding the territories for Great Yu.”

“Legend has it that Emperor Tianqi personally led a campaign and slew a Nanyue tribesman who manipulated swarms of flying insects.”

“From then, Emperor Tianqi returned to the Capital City and embarked on major construction, building a tomb for eighteen years, ultimately creating a vast underground mausoleum.”

“The late Emperor passed away six years ago and was buried beneath that mausoleum…”

“The late Emperor, Emperor Tianqi!”

Zheng Yi murmured, filled with contemplative thoughts.

A few moments later, Yang Huan softly called: “Your Majesty, Your Majesty~”

“What is it?”

“Does the matter I mentioned have any use to Your Majesty?”

“Indeed! Of course it does! Hahaha~”

Zheng Yi again lifted Yang Huan up and laughed heartily.

Holding a beauty, why think of matters of the dead.

No matter what, since Fire Spirit wants to dig up the Emperor’s Mausoleum, there must be something he covets inside.

Now he is gravely injured and has fled, unknown where he is recovering.

Thus, the contents of the Emperor’s Mausoleum are mine!

As for filial piety or not?

I am not from the Great Yu Zheng Clan, why shouldn’t I dig?

As for excavating that mausoleum?

No matter, dig it all first; I refuse to believe I won’t find what Fire Spirit seeks!

But how to dig and when to dig must be concealed from many ministers; a good plan is needed.

“Beloved consort, you have accomplished a great deed; Huan’er, tell me, how should I reward you?”

Yang Huan leaned on Zheng Yi’s broad shoulder and sincerely said: “I want nothing but for Your Majesty to spare a little time amidst your busy schedule to visit me and Yao’er; I would be fulfilled.”

“Huan’er…”

Zheng Yi lifted Yang Huan’s head and gazed at her somewhat haggard but exceedingly beautiful face, his heart filled with emotion and pity.

“Cheng’en!”

“At your service!”

The door opened, and Liu Cheng’en quickly entered.

“Declare: Consort Shuu Yang Huan, gentle, harmonious, adhering to refined conduct, embodying the harmony of jade and sound, skilled in propriety. Reveres the discipline of dawn to dusk, tireless in diligence.”

“Appoint: Noble Consort Yang!”

Liu Cheng’en’s body shook, eyes filled with shock.

Noble Consort?

Consort Shuu, appointed as Noble Consort?

This… is an extraordinary event!

But he quickly composed himself, hurriedly knelt, and said: “At your command!”

“You may leave.”

“Yes!”

“Your Majesty~!”

As Liu Cheng’en left, Yang Huan looked at Zheng Yi excitedly, tears brimming in her eyes.

“Your Majesty’s great kindness and virtue, I have nothing to repay, only wishing to serve Your Majesty wholeheartedly with this humble body!”

“Huan’er, you have toiled!”

He held Yang Huan up, striding towards the chamber.

The red candles flickered, filling the room with merry cries.

Outside Yonghe Palace, Liu Cheng’en exited with a peculiar expression.

This Consort Shuu Yang Huan, what enchanting potion did she give His Majesty to be appointed as Noble Consort!

Noble Consort’s rank is only second to Empress and Imperial Noble Consort.

She, offspring of a condemned minister, how…

“Eunuch Liu!”

In the darkness, a shadowy figure approached swiftly, slipping a Golden Ingot into Liu Cheng’en’s sleeve.

“When does His Majesty depart, the Empress is still waiting for His Majesty to dine.”

In the dim light, Kunning Palace’s Chief Eunuch Lu Fu sized up the Golden Ingot in his sleeve and hesitated before saying:

“Lu Fu, you’ve been in the palace long enough; heed my advice, let the Empress rest early.”

“Tonight, His Majesty stays at Yonghe Palace.”

“Ah?”

Lu Fu exclaimed: “Why is that?”

“Consort Shuu Yang Huan was granted as Noble Consort Yang!”

“What?!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep