The Ghost-God said there would be rain, and indeed, for the next half month, it rained frequently, accompanied by flashes of lightning and rumbles of thunder.
Seizing an opportune moment, Yan Pei carefully presented a cup of the Emperor’s favorite rock tea with both hands and cautiously said, “This servant comes from the countryside and once heard a rumor—”
He looked up and saw that his master showed interest, so he continued:
“It is said that ghosts, being of Yin nature, fear lightning and thunder the most. Whenever such weather occurs, they seek the company of people with high virtue or great fortune in their destiny to avoid the thunder.”
“You mean…”
Yan Pei nodded firmly and added with a smile, “Your Majesty is the most revered person under heaven. The Grand Princess of Qin needs Your Majesty.”
He spoke with certainty, his eyes filled with excitement and admiration as he looked at the Emperor.
Li Yue’s eyes flickered slightly. If this were truly the case, he would feel somewhat better.
From beginning to end, his devotion and obedience to the Ghost-God were partly driven by self-interest.
Throughout the centuries, when had there ever been an Emperor like him who witnessed the appearance of a Ghost-God during his reign?
Just by thinking about the potential gains from Ling Xiao, the Emperor could humble himself, discard useless emotions, and curry favor.
The other half came from doubt.
The divine and extraordinary abilities the Ghost-God had displayed so far made her identity unshakable. What Li Yue doubted was whether this aunt of his truly bore the surname Li!
Mortals could not comprehend the ways of Yin and Yang, creating a barrier between them. Knowing that he was useful to Ling Xiao brought a completely different feeling.
Yan Pei didn’t need to look up. Hearing no sound from the throne, he knew the matter was settled.
In this palace, everyone had their role. Yan Pei had managed to rise to his current position steadily by keeping the Emperor’s interests at heart.
He shared the Emperor’s worries, hated what the Emperor hated, and rejoiced in what the Emperor rejoiced.
Thus, now that the Emperor felt conflicted and uneasy about the Ghost-God, Yan Pei had to resolve this inner turmoil.
After all, he knew the Emperor would have to yield eventually. If nothing else, he still had to “attend the bedchamber” tonight.
There had to be a way to save face.
“Oh dear, this servant deserves death! The tea has gone cold,” the Chief Eunuch exclaimed dramatically, touching the teapot.
“Stop putting on that act. Go and fetch a fresh pot of tea,” Li Yue chuckled, waving his hand to dismiss him.
After Yan Pei retreated with the teapot, the hall was left with only the Emperor.
As if guided by some unseen force, the Emperor looked up, rested his head on his hand, and smiled, as if he had gained some insight.
………………
In Fengyang Palace, the jade ball wriggled and turned over. Ling Xiao was resting with her eyes closed.
Suddenly, the System’s cheerful voice rang out, “Host, for some reason, the Emperor’s favorability toward you has risen to 45 points!”
18888 was moved to tears. It had been so difficult! Before this, it had no idea how challenging a conquest mission could be.
Shouldn’t it be that as soon as the transmigrated host appeared, danced a dance, recited a few poems, the Emperor or princes would fall head over heels in love?
With such a high-level host, the favorability had only reached 36 points until just now!
Glancing at the excited System, Ling Xiao had no desire to speak with a fool.
Men, ancient men, ancient men with power and influence—they might like women with talent, beauty, or even novel personalities.
This was because what these women possessed posed no threat to them; it only served to please them.
But Ling Xiao, who had crafted the persona of a Ghost-God, was different from the start. She was capricious, capable of killing at any moment, and had the power to destroy the dynasty. Li Yue could only feel wary and guarded toward her.
“I thought it would take the Emperor some time to realize,” Ling Xiao sighed, speaking to the System. “We’ll just have to adapt as things unfold. Li Yue is about to make a move.”
As if her words had been prophetic, in the days that followed, Lady Yang watched in astonishment as His Majesty’s attitude underwent a complete one-eighty-degree reversal.
Before this, everyone in Fengyang Palace knew perfectly well that when the Emperor came to accompany the princess to sleep, he was actually quite resentful. It was all too obvious—he was utterly unwilling.
Facing the princess’s provocations—sometimes even she, as a servant, felt they went too far. Only when training young eunuchs and palace maids did the palace employ such harsh methods.
In the middle of the night, Ling Xiao opened her eyes and spoke softly, like a ghostly whisper, “Are you asleep?”
Suddenly, a strange gust of wind blew out the only lit candle. The bed curtains billowed inward from the wind, creaking incessantly.
Accompanied by the faint patter of rain outside and the momentary flashes of lightning through the windows, the atmosphere was perfectly set.
Li Yue slept in a proper posture, lying straight with his hands folded over his abdomen. Though he was squeezed pitifully into a small corner of the bed by Ling Xiao’s haphazard sleeping position, he spoke calmly: “Auntie is not asleep, so your nephew is worried and cannot sleep either.”
He rose from the bed effortlessly, ignoring the unnatural wind and the inexplicable sensation at his feet. With a gentle exhale, the candle relit.
Turning back to Ling Xiao, he asked, “Do you need water, or…”
“What do I do, System? It seems this Emperor has evolved to the ultimate level,” Ling Xiao mused deeply in her mind, complaining to 18888.
Li Yue looked at the young girl sitting on the bed. Her dark hair cascaded loosely, and her fair, tender face, with its plump cheeks, exuded the innocence of a child.
She glared at him, arms crossed, as if angry that he hadn’t shown any fear.
She truly resembled a pampered little princess of the palace.
And she should have been a princess. Li Yue’s heart softened unexpectedly, and his demeanor grew even gentler.
With a flicker of her eyes, Ling Xiao knew exactly what the Emperor was thinking. She had long recognized that her cheap nephew was, in fact, a good emperor by ancient standards—decisive, courageous, capable of admitting mistakes and accepting advice, and not lacking in affection for the royal family.
Was he pitying her now?
“Wah, Li Yue really is a good emperor,” 18888 was moved to tears.
Ling Xiao, however, grew excited. Dear nephew, don’t pity your auntie. Your auntie will soon make you pity yourself.
“Soon, it will be the anniversary of my dead father’s passing, right?”
Li Yue was taken aback, unsure why she suddenly brought this up, but he nodded in agreement. “In ten days, it will be Taizu’s memorial day.”
Then he saw the girl, as if unable to face a certain truth, throw herself onto the bed, bury her head under the quilt, and mutter to herself:
“How can it be so soon? Only ten days left? If Master finds out I’ve been mischievous… No, no!”
The last few words rose sharply in volume.
Under the quilt, she kicked and thrashed wildly, causing the Huanghuali wood bed, a tribute from the South Sea, to groan under the strain.
Her long, dark hair began to spread uncontrollably, like the sinister, bloodthirsty threads of a spider goddess.
Li Yue was utterly astonished, unsure what had triggered such an emotional collapse in the Ghost-God. This is bad. I must stop her first. His sharp eyes noticed the hair strands already rising near his feet, poised to strike.
The Emperor sensed the gravity of the situation. When an ordinary child threw a tantrum, they might kick things around, but when a Ghost-God grew angry, it thirsted for blood!
“Auntie, please calm down first. There’s always a way to handle things,” Li Yue tried his best to soothe her.
Such a huge commotion would have woken even the dead in Fengyang Palace. Outside the hall, chaos reigned—people and horses in disarray, a cacophony of noise.
Yan Pei’s expression was grave as he led men to ram the hall doors. A dozen eunuchs pushed together with all their might, yet the massive wooden doors did not even budge.
Facing the supernatural power of the Ghost-God firsthand, everyone was deeply horrified. Palace servants trembled and wept in fear.
“What are you crying for? Your Majesty and the Princess of Qin are bound by blood—nothing will happen to them!”
Yan Pei shouted to control the situation, his voice carrying through the doors into the hall. In his anxiety, Li Yue felt a sliver of comfort.
Suddenly, the Ghost-God beneath the covers seemed to have heard these words as well. It slowly ceased its thrashing. Seeing hope, Li Yue was about to speak.