My Lady Always Lacks Ambition

Chapter 1267 - 1194: Let’s Go, Time to Escape! (2)

"You’ve accumulated a lot of killing karma!" Qin Liuxi looked at him and said.

When killing karma is too heavy, even the baleful qi takes on a blood-red hue, and it’s as if the stench of blood on his body can never be washed clean, still clinging to him. If he dies and goes for a proper reincarnation, then fine, but if he dies harboring resentment, he’ll definitely turn into a vicious Evil Ghost.

No wonder the Divine Weapon was so excited; it smelled a kindred aura and wanted to devour this vicious killing qi too.

Unfortunately, this was a living, breathing person.

Qin Liuxi was never going to kill the man in front of her just to feed it.

The Dragon Guard Commander didn’t say a word. Only after Qin Liuxi left did he feel a tight, aching pressure in his chest. When he finally let out a breath, he was a little dazed.

He had actually held his breath in front of the State Preceptor and forgotten to breathe, and he had felt threatened—threatened in that way one only feels when standing on the edge of life and death again and again.

The State Preceptor was dangerous.

The Dragon Guard Commander drew in a deep breath, his expression growing even uglier. In a single day, he’d suffered setbacks one after another, and it was really stifling.

He’d taken a hit in front of that man so beautiful he was practically a walking calamity, and now again before the State Preceptor. People like that were ones he’d rather keep at a respectful distance.

"State Preceptor?" Empress Mu called to her when Qin Liuxi stepped out of the bedchamber, her tone carrying a touch of probing.

Qin Liuxi looked over at her and gave a slight nod. Her lips didn’t move, yet her words sounded directly in the Empress’s mind.

The Empress’s heart settled down.

So it really was her.

From inside the bedchamber came Emperor Kangwu’s low growl. The Empress arranged a worried look on her face and sighed. "Such a temper—if it aggravates the Dragon Body, what are we to do?"

Qin Liuxi thought, if your eyes could also show a bit of worry, I might actually believe the concern coming out of your mouth was sincere.

She’d also heard the Dragon Guard Commander’s report to Emperor Kangwu. The corners of her lips quirked up. Easy to invite a God, hard to send one away—now that they’d taken Feng Xiu to the Ministry of Justice, wasn’t he going to tear that place apart?

Shun quickly came out again, this time to summon the few secret ministers who had been waiting in the side hall to go in and discuss state affairs.

After all, Emperor Kangwu was laid up in bed and needed rest, but the affairs of state couldn’t just grind to a halt with him—especially now, in the dead of winter, and after such a severe natural disaster as an earthquake during the sacrificial rite. Post-disaster reconstruction and settling the refugees was one thing; there were still all sorts of other matters piling up.

Most importantly, the national treasury was empty. In a situation where they were already short of Silver, another natural disaster like this hitting was simply adding insult to injury for the national treasury. As for this year, they could forget about having a good New Year.

At present, the Crown Prince was not yet established, the Monarch was injured, natural disasters struck again and again, and there were frequent wars on the borders. This was precisely a time of internal and external unrest; it needed to be stabilized as quickly as possible.

The ministers filed in one after another.

Lin Xiang walked in last and stopped opposite Qin Liuxi. Their gazes met.

Perfect—confirmation by eye contact. He was that big thorn on the rebel ship!

Lin Xiang took a step forward and said, "This year disasters have been frequent, and the common folk are full of complaints. Now that the Holy Altar has quaked and heaven has sent down punishment, there are voices outside saying it is because the Demon Path has bewitched the Saint, and they demand that the Saint exterminate the Demon Path to purge those close to the throne and appease the will of Heaven."

He lifted his hand and pointed at her.

Qin Liuxi’s eyes widened. "?"

How did I become the Demon Path again?

Oh, right—my current identity is the State Preceptor, that Demon Path bastard in a lot of people’s eyes.

Lin Xiang continued, "More serious than the calls to exterminate the Demon Path is that the people have nowhere to vent their resentful energy. They think all crows under heaven are equally black and are treating the Righteous Path as the Demon Path, besieging and looting Taoist sects. Even the Buddhist Sect hasn’t entirely escaped; they’re only faring a bit better than the Taoists."

Qin Liuxi’s expression hardened, a flash of ferocity passing through her eyes.

"Now you really do have a bit of a Demon Path aura about you," Lin Xiang mocked, then added, "Compared to the previous Emperor only suppressing the Taoist, now that both the Buddhist and Taoist have taken some hits, it looks even more like someone is doing this on purpose. Is it that thing you mentioned making mischief?"

Qin Liuxi smiled and said, "Prime Minister need only do what falls within your duty. No need to worry about anything else."

She inclined her head to him and turned to leave.

"This is a good time. It’s time to establish the Crown Prince."

Lin Xiang heard the transmitted voice in his ear, yet his face didn’t show the slightest change as he walked into the bedchamber.

...

The Prison.

Feng Xiu was lounging in the cell like some young master, his body slanted sideways as he sat, dressed in a dazzling red robe. His full head of jet-black hair was only loosely tied with a ribbon. If one looked closely, one could vaguely see a strand of golden-red hair hidden amidst the black. One hand propped up his chin, while the other twined a lock of hair around his fingers, playing with it, his long fox-like eyes half closed.

If not for the fact that the cell was so broken and dilapidated, cracked all over, and that all the other prisoners inside were kneeling and trembling, faces full of terror, such an exquisitely beautiful man would definitely make it impossible for anyone to look away.