Chapter 669: Chapter 669 - 656 Suisui’s nose is swollen from all the rubbing_2
"Your Majesty! Ultimately, this old subject feels that you have been far too indulgent with His Majesty.
He’s twenty-five, has yet to take a consort or name an Empress, and you’ve let it slide. But now, you know he has gone off on a dangerous adventure, how can you simply stand by and do nothing?"
"Sigh! He is the Emperor, the ruler of a nation. How could I possibly control him?
However, Your Highness, with His Majesty absent, Ji Youze cannot secretly manage affairs in the Palace.
I have concealed this for several days, but I fear I won’t be able to hide it from the court’s princes and ministers much longer.
You are His Majesty’s uncle. At a time like this, shouldn’t you be devising a way to stabilize the court?"
Prince Yi froze at her words. He... he had merely come to the Palace to inquire about the Phoenix, how had he been saddled with such a monumental task by the Empress Dowager?
"This... this will not do!
I lost interest in court affairs long ago and am out of practice with such matters. You... you should find someone else!"
Having said his piece, Prince Yi turned to flee, but Nanny Xiao quickly moved to block his path, bowing as she spoke.
"Your Highness, the Empress Dowager has not finished speaking. Please, listen to what else Her Majesty has to say!"
Prince Yi had no desire to listen further!
His imperial nephew had made a mess, and he, the uncle, was expected to clean it up. He was incapable of doing so. Prince Yi tried to sidestep Nanny Xiao and escape.
Just then, however, a throng of civil and military officials burst in. The eunuchs guarding the entrance to Cining Palace were powerless to stop them. The reason was simple: moments before, they had seen a phoenix leaving the Imperial Palace.
They had all learned of the Emperor’s departure from the Palace, a fact the Empress Dowager had been desperately trying to conceal these past few days. And so, all the civil and military officials had come to Cining Palace demanding an explanation!
Prince Yi, exasperated, could only rub his forehead and temples. In the end, he used his esteemed reputation and past achievements to stabilize the situation at court.
"Your Majesty! We only pray for your safe return!
Our Great Han can endure no more turmoil."
「At night.」
The Empress Dowager gazed up at the bright moon, sighing softly.
Aboard a ship at sea, the Emperor let out a forceful sneeze, startling Xie Pan’Er, who was standing at the bow admiring the moon. She quickly curtsied, "Your Majesty!"
The Emperor waved his hand. "Are you thinking of Suisui?"
"The Princess is blessed by fortune; I believe she will undoubtedly return safely."
"By dawn, we should be back in Yunhang County. A difficult battle awaits us there. Are you afraid?"
"The Princess is fighting within the Array of Heaven, and we shall fight here in Yunhang County.
We must win this battle. Otherwise, the Princess and the Seventh Young Master’s entry into the Array of Heaven will have been for naught!"
Xie Pan’Er looked up at the moon once more, praying silently in her heart, May the heavens protect the Princess and ensure her safety.
「Inside the Array of Heaven.」
Xiaosuisui could not stop sneezing. Her nose was rubbed raw and swollen. Ji Youzhi watched her, his heart aching with distress, and asked repeatedly,
"What on earth is wrong with you? Could there be something here that you’re allergic to?
Look at your nose, it’s swollen like a pig’s snout!"
"ACHOO!"
Xiaosuisui sneezed again, miserably, and continued to rub her nose.
"Just... just how many... how many relatives do I have... thinking of me?
Or are they speaking ill of me?
Making me sneeze for so long... ACHOO..."
Ji Youzhi spread his hands helplessly. "There’s nothing I can do; I can’t help you!"
"ACHOO..." Xiaosuisui sneezed for about two hours before, finally, with her nose still red and swollen, she watched as the Array Eye of the Array of Heaven slowly materialized.
"It’s time."
Xiaosuisui abruptly stood up. Her black and white companions beside her immediately went on alert, watching the slowly dissipating white mist.
"Is this... the Array Eye?"
"Yes!"
The slowly dispersing white mist revealed a different, spectacular sight.
"What a beautiful place! This is truly a paradise on earth!"
Ji Youzhi murmured to himself, a look of complete captivation on his face.
Xiaosuisui looked at Ji Youzhi in confusion.
"It’s still just a blur; there hasn’t been much change.
Why do you think it’s a paradise on earth?"
However, she received no reply from Ji Youzhi.
Xiaosuisui turned her head to look at Xiaobai. Xiaobai had transformed; it was no longer the little white rabbit she knew.
Its body had suddenly grown countless times larger. Auspicious cloud-like patterns were faintly visible on its snow-white fur. Its mouth had become a gaping, tiger-like maw, and two horns sprouted from its head.
Its expression was now extremely fierce.
Xiaosuisui blinked.
"What’s going on?
Why has Xiaobai become like this?"
Xiaobai’s eyes were glazed over; it stood motionless.
Seeing Xiaobai’s state, and then glancing at Ji Youzhi, Xiaosuisui suddenly had a thought!
She quickly turned to look at Dahei, only to find it was in the same dazed condition as Xiaobai and Ji Youzhi!
She tried to take a few steps forward but found she could not move, as if an invisible barrier blocked her, rendering her immobile!
She thrust out a palm, but it passed through empty air, a light, floaty sensation, feeling nothing at all.
There’s nothing inside the Array of Heaven?
That’s impossible!
Xiaosuisui was puzzled. She looked towards Ji Youzhi, Xiaobai, and Dahei. She saw that Ji Youzhi’s face wore a joyous smile.
Yes, it was a smile—utterly happy, a smile of sheer bliss.
Xiaobai, its fur glossy, was drooling profusely from its large mouth.
Dahei’s state was more alarming: its body was gradually shrinking, and beads of sweat were forming on its forehead!
Sweat? Confused, Xiaosuisui reached out to touch it, only to find it ice-cold, her fingertips instantly frosting over!
This is serious. Cold sweat freezing in an instant. This is an ice-element cultivation technique. Dahei is a snake and has guarded Black Water Ridge for a thousand years.
So it was because the cultivation technique it practiced was ice-elemental.
Xiaosuisui murmured to herself, her large, puzzled eyes blinked.
Could it be that they’ve fallen into some kind of Illusory Realm?
This won’t do! I only have a superficial understanding of Illusion Techniques. I need to find my maternal eldest uncle about this.
With this thought, Xiaosuisui sat down cross-legged, slowly closed her eyes, and entered the Dream Realm.