“Daughter, daughter!”

At the Minister of Rites’ residence, Yan Zhen strode quickly into the courtyard with the gate wide open.

Yan Ruxue, reading in the courtyard, lifted her delicate chin and smiled. “Did Father run into something today? To be this happy.”

“Hahaha. Of course I have to be happy today.”

Yan Zhen sat on a stone stool and poured himself a cup of tea.

“Daughter, you have no idea. These days, the Ministry of Rites has been so busy with His Majesty’s wedding ceremony that it’s been driving us mad. Your father here went through all kinds of ancient records until my head was about to split. But today, at last, it’s over. His Majesty read it and had no objections. Your father can finally breathe again.”

Yan Zhen smiled as he spoke.

“But the one thing I didn’t expect the most... was our His Majesty.”

“Oh?” Yan Ruxue sat on the stone stool beside him and asked curiously. “What about His Majesty?”

“How should I put it...”

Yan Zhen rubbed his chin.

“It’s like—His Majesty’s words and actions, every movement he makes, all carry this calm composure, with the refined grace of a scholar.

“But then, when I looked His Majesty in the eye, I still felt a kind of inexplicable tension.

“That imperial majesty... even now, just thinking of it makes my heart shake.

“And yet, judging by His bearing, where does His Majesty resemble what the court rumors call him—‘ignorant and untalented,’ ‘foolish and incompetent’? He truly has the air of an enlightened ruler.

“I even found myself thinking on the way here—if His Majesty could truly take the reins, would Great Zhou—”

As he spoke, Yan Zhen realized he had misspoken. He hurriedly waved his hands. “I’ve said too much. Too much. Daughter, don’t take any of that to heart. Pretend you didn’t hear it.”

“Rest assured, Father. Your daughter understands.” Yan Ruxue smiled faintly.

“But speaking of it—Mother told me that in Father’s younger years, you carried great ambition, wanting to order your household, govern the state, and bring peace under heaven. So why is it that now you so often attend poetry gatherings and spend your days wandering the countryside with talented men? Before, when that clan-uncle wanted Father to go to the Ministry of Personnel, Father refused.”

“Daughter, you really do know how to pick the one kettle that isn’t boiling.” Yan Zhen gave a helpless smile. “At the beginning, when your father first entered court, I truly thought that way. But as for this court now...”

He stopped, as if wanting to speak, then in the end shook his head and let out a sigh. “Forget it. Forget it. Better not to say it, better not to say it...”

“Right. Daughter, this is for you.”

Yan Zhen carefully took out the spirit-snake jade token and handed it to his daughter. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

“This is?” Yan Ruxue accepted the token and cradled it in her palms.

“This token was given to you by His Majesty as a gift. This year happens to be the Year of the Snake, so it’s made in the shape of a spirit-snake.” Yan Zhen said with a smile.

“All right. Your father’s leaving now—there’s still a banquet.” Yan Zhen rose and patted his robe flat.

“Safe travels, Father. Drink a little less.” Yan Ruxue lowered herself in a respectful bow.

“I know, I know. Don’t tell your mother your father went out to drink, or she’ll nag again.” With his hands clasped behind his back, Yan Zhen walked out of the courtyard looking exceedingly carefree.

After her father left, Yan Ruxue lifted the jade token toward the winter light.

Under the warm sun, the gently swaying token cast rippling jade-glow.

“Miss, this token is so pretty.” Chunyan came up, delighted. This was His Majesty’s first gift to her young miss.

“It is pretty.”

Yan Ruxue smiled softly and lightly flicked the little snake carved on the token.

“Pretty.

“And such a coincidence.”

Leaving the residence, Yan Zhen boarded a carriage and headed for Drunken Immortal Pavilion.

Leaning against the carriage’s soft cushion, Yan Zhen lowered his head, unable to help drifting into thought.

Especially his daughter’s words just now—they kept echoing in his heart.

“Order the household, govern the state, bring peace under heaven...”

Yan Zhen murmured to himself.

After a long pause, Yan Zhen suddenly laughed.

“Forget it... forget it.”

After finishing the midday meal with Empress Dowager Yan, Xiao Mo left her quarters.

Xiao Mo did not immediately return to the Hall of Nurturing the Heart. Instead, he went to the Platform of Inquiry into the Dao to practice swordsmanship.

The wedding ceremony was not that urgent, and Xiao Mo also felt he could take his time with the Book of a Hundred Lives, so during this period he spent more of his time on the sword.

At this moment, Xiao Mo had already reached the Qi Refining Realm’s twelfth layer, and he was about to reach completion.

At that time, he could attempt Foundation Establishment.

But what troubled Xiao Mo was—once he reached Foundation Establishment, what then?

A mortal ruler was not supposed to reach Foundation Establishment.

Even though he had the Breath-Concealment Art to hide his cultivation,

once he reached Foundation Establishment and practiced swordsmanship, that Immortal Jiang would be watching from the side—his spiritual power was not something he could lie about.

Just as Xiao Mo was feeling vexed, a fragrant breeze brushed past his nose.

By the time Xiao Mo reacted, a slender «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» figure had already appeared before him.

Then, a flash of sword light stabbed straight toward his brow.

Xiao Mo instantly gathered his focus and raised his sword to block.

Their sword qi raged across the Platform of Inquiry into the Dao without pause, but the woman’s sword qi was far purer than Xiao Mo’s.

After ten exchanges, the woman’s brows knit. She found a flaw in Xiao Mo and knocked his sword aside.

In the blink of an eye, the woman’s blade was already leveled before Xiao Mo’s throat.

“Thank you for your guidance, Jiang Qingyi.” Xiao Mo conceded.

“Hmph.” Jiang Qingyi coldly sheathed her sword and turned away, her tone carrying dissatisfaction. “The sword path is the word ‘sharp’—it values decisiveness and clean cuts. What was wrong with Your Majesty today? Why does every move carry the taste of something that won’t let go, like a severed root still trailing silk?”

Xiao Mo smiled and shook his head, finding an excuse. “I finally cultivated to the twelfth layer, yet Foundation Establishment is difficult in the first place. More than that, I am still a mortal ruler. These days, I have been thinking—how should I break through this bottleneck?”

Jiang Qingyi rolled her eyes at Xiao Mo.

“I’ve said it before.

“Your Majesty has only set foot on the cultivation path for a single year, and I have only guided Your Majesty in sword practice for half a year. Yet you have already reached the Qi Refining Realm’s twelfth layer. That alone proves Your Majesty’s talent.

“But since Ancient Qin, the fortune of rulers has been exhausted. Under the laws of heaven and earth, it is difficult for a ruler to break into Foundation Establishment. This is not Your Majesty’s fault.

“If Your Majesty truly wishes to achieve something on the cultivation path, then only by coming with me to the MYRIAD SWORDS SECT can it be done properly.”

Xiao Mo declined gently. “We’ll speak of it later.”

“I truly don’t know what’s so good about this place.” Jiang Qingyi seemed even more irritated. “Your Majesty should think carefully. A sword immortal is far freer than a ruler.”

With that, Jiang Qingyi carried her sword, leaped over the high wall, and left the Platform of Inquiry into the Dao.

“Your Highness the Princess, you cannot go in. His Majesty is cultivating!”

“Your Highness the Princess, please don’t make things hard on this old servant!”

Just as Jiang Qingyi left, Wei Xun’s voice sounded outside the Platform of Inquiry into the Dao’s gate—so strained it was nearly a sob.

And then a lively, bright shout rang in.

“Your Majesty Brother... Mujiu came to play with you! Your Majesty Brother!”