Novel Full Chapter 224 - 205: I, Too, Will Go
Chapter 224: Chapter 205: I, Too, Will Go
「Qin Kingdom Royal Palace.」
Her sister had said the Emperor of Qin might be a bit strange and asked her to come take a look. So, for the past few days, Xiao Qing had been monitoring this Emperor, observing her every word and action.
And just as her sister had said, this Sovereign of Qin was indeed a woman.
But it had to be said, this Emperor of Qin was indeed exceptionally beautiful.
In Xiao Qing’s eyes, her sister was the most beautiful woman in the world.
But seeing her today, this Emperor of Qin was actually on par with her own sister.
However, unlike her sister’s gentle and graceful elegance, this Empress of Qin had a kind of heroic spirit in her features.
Beyond that, this Sovereign of Qin named Qin Siyao was extremely skilled in political maneuvering, and she acted with decisive speed.
Although she was young, her prestige in the Imperial Court was extremely high, and many of the court’s veteran ministers were scared to death of her.
But this was understandable.
After all, she often donned armor and took to the battlefield, expanding the Qin Kingdom’s territory by a great deal.
The Qin Kingdom’s current strength was entirely due to her rule.
And prestige built on merit was the most solid kind.
However, her sister said the King of Qin had stepped onto the Path of Cultivation and that her Realm was not low.
But from her observations over the past few days, Xiao Qing felt that this Empress of Qin was actually only at the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer. Like most Emperors in the world, she was fundamentally unable to reach Foundation Establishment.
As for her sister’s other claim—that her target might be the Zhou Kingdom—that didn’t seem to be the case at all.
Currently, the Qin Kingdom’s relationship with the Yan Kingdom was indeed not good, and Qin was also thinking about how to deal with Yan.
But the Qin Kingdom had no designs on the Zhou Kingdom. Xiao Qing had heard them discuss in the morning court that after annexing the Yan Kingdom, they would first rest and recuperate before expanding east and west.
Xiao Qing guessed that it was probably because the Zhou Kingdom had allied itself with the Wanjian Sect, so they didn’t dare to act for the time being.
In all these days, Xiao Qing hadn’t heard Qin Siyao mention the name “Xiao Mo,” so it was even more unlikely that she was targeting Brother Xiao.
’Sister must be overthinking things.’
After several days of surveillance, Xiao Qing came to this conclusion.
Xiao Qing felt there was no longer any need to continue monitoring the Sovereign of Qin. She could report back to her sister.
However, before she left, Xiao Qing decided to test the Sovereign of Qin one last time.
One morning, after finishing the morning court session, Qin Siyao returned to the rear palace. She sat in a courtyard, painting a black-ink landscape on a scroll.
Xiao Qing took a miniature Flying Sword, the length of an embroidery needle, from her Storage Pouch.
“Go!”
With a flick of her fingertips, the miniature Flying Sword shot toward Qin Siyao’s head.
Although the Qin Kingdom Royal Palace had an Array protecting its Sovereign’s safety, with Xiao Qing’s Immortal Realm strength, coupled with this Half-Immortal Grade Magic Sword, assassinating a Monarch like this was all too easy. It wouldn’t even attract the attention of the palace’s Array.
The miniature Flying Sword drew closer and closer to Qin Siyao.
Just as the miniature Flying Sword was about to pierce Qin Siyao’s head, it stopped abruptly, hovering in mid-air, not advancing another inch.
Meanwhile, Qin Siyao continued to paint as if nothing was happening.
Xiao Qing retracted the Flying Sword, completely relieved.
’Just now, I intentionally released a bit of my aura, even some killing intent.’
’If she were a Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivator, she would have been able to sense me and the Flying Sword.’
’But she acted as if she knew nothing at all.’
Xiao Qing turned and strode away from the Qin Kingdom Royal Palace.
But not long after Xiao Qing had left, the Sovereign of Qin turned her head and gazed into the distance.
That was the direction Xiao Qing had gone.
The corners of the Sovereign of Qin’s lips curved up slightly. Then she retracted her gaze and, as if she knew nothing at all, continued to sketch stroke by stroke on the scroll.
After the Sovereign of Qin finished the landscape, she began to meticulously sketch a man beside a small stream in the painting.
A full hour passed before the painting was finally complete.
“Your Majesty…”
Just as Qin Siyao put down her ink brush, a personal Female Official stepped forward and bowed.
“Mm,” Qin Siyao nodded. “What is it?”
“Reporting to Your Majesty, the Prime Minister and the others have submitted several more memorials,” the Female Official said slowly.
“What are they about?”
Qin Siyao carefully examined her artwork, growing more and more satisfied the longer she looked.
As Qin Siyao’s personal Female Official, unless they were secret memorials, this woman named Hua Xiong was allowed to read them first to understand their contents before presenting them to Your Majesty.
“It’s about Your Majesty taking consorts,” Hua Xiong reported truthfully. “The Prime Minister and the others have submitted a petition, hoping Your Majesty will take consorts as soon as possible. They say the rear palace cannot be without a mistress for a single day, nor can the Qin Kingdom be without an heir. Does Your Majesty wish to review it?”
“Heheheh…” Qin Siyao let out a light laugh. “No need. In the future, you don’t have to tell me about such memorials.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Hua Xiong nodded.
“By the way, Hua Xiong, come and see. How is my painting?” Qin Siyao beckoned to the Female Official beside her.
“Then this servant will be so bold.”
Hua Xiong stepped forward and looked at Her Majesty’s scroll.
“Your Majesty is accomplished in all four arts—zither, Go, calligraphy, and painting. Especially this ink painting technique. In this servant’s opinion, only Dean Shang of Bailu Academy could compare with Your Majesty.” This was not flattery from Hua Xiong; she truly thought so.
“Heheh, it’s beautiful, isn’t it? He taught me,” Qin Siyao said, the corners of her lips curling up.
“He…”
’There’s that “he” again,’ Hua Xiong thought.
As the personal Female Official, Hua Xiong knew that her Majesty was a woman, knew that Her Majesty was skilled in many, many things, and even knew that Her Majesty could cultivate.
But she didn’t know who this “he” that Her Majesty always mentioned really was.
Hua Xiong looked at the scroll again and only then noticed a man in green robes beside a stream in the painting. He stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the water.
’Is the man in the painting the “he” Your Majesty speaks of?’
Unfortunately, she couldn’t see his face.
“Hua Xiong,” Qin Siyao called out.
“Your Majesty.” Hua Xiong bowed her head.
“How are the inquiries into the Zhou Kingdom coming along?” Qin Siyao asked.
Hua Xiong’s eyes widened for a moment, and she glanced around worriedly.
“Don’t worry, that woman is gone. Just say what you need to say,” Qin Siyao said, shaking her head.
When Xiao Qing had first entered the Imperial Palace, Qin Siyao had already sent a voice transmission to Hua Xiong, telling her not to mention the Zhou Kingdom or her own cultivation.
“To Your Majesty, the Zhou Kingdom is currently preparing for a great joyous event,” Hua Xiong reported truthfully. “I hear the Sovereign of Zhou is to marry the daughter of the Zhou Kingdom’s Yan Clan as his empress. The entire Imperial Court is busy with this matter.”
“Oh? Getting married, is he.” The corners of Qin Siyao’s lips curved up as she gazed at the back of the man in the painting. “That is indeed a joyous occasion. The late Emperor had some dealings with the Zhou Kingdom in the past. It’s only right that I offer my congratulations.”
“Your Majesty, you mean…?”
“Tell Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Lord Yang, to make preparations for a congratulatory mission to the Zhou Kingdom.”
Qin Siyao reached out, gently stroking the man in the painting.
“Also… I will be going as well.”