Who among the gangsters wants to fall in love?

Chapter 444 A King Standing Side by Side
whoosh—

Unlike the bustling capital, the Western Regions, thousands of miles away, were rather desolate in the dead of night. A cold wind swept through the remaining snow, enveloping a remote town nestled in the vast yellow sands.

The walls were built with brown mud bricks that looked like they were made of solidified sand and fired, but almost every inch of the wall was covered with dark marks like splattered blood.

Traces of blood.

The Western Regions are known as the Valley of Villains in Dali, a place where people are brave and fierce, and killing people in the streets is not uncommon. Almost every moment, someone dies violently in the street.

The late night is not the night of ordinary people in the Western Regions, but the night of those in the martial arts world.

Meng Po walked alone in the night, where the remaining snow gently swayed.

Emerald green eyes, dead black night.

The same streets, the same silence—Meng Po, who was already used to the scenery of the Western Regions, couldn't help but sigh softly.

uninteresting.

Crash---

In a remote town, a red lantern hangs in front of a wine shop, swaying gently in the wind. Its dim red light shines on the deserted street, like a guiding lamp on the Bridge of Helplessness, and the wine banner flutters in the wind.

There were charred marks in front of the door, suggesting that firecrackers had been set off.

Meng Po looked up at the character "福" (fortune/blessing) written on the lantern and thought that the Central Plains people in the Western Regions must have more than a dozen lives on their hands, be wanted by the imperial court, and have nowhere else to turn, which is why they came here.

But this person hasn't given up the New Year customs of the Central Plains?

Seeing the wine shop door wide open, Meng Po hesitated for a few seconds before lifting the leather wine curtain and slowly stepping inside.

Late at night, the liquor store had few customers, except for an old woman with white hair dressed in red sitting behind the counter, pushing the abacus beads and calculating the year's revenue.

Hearing footsteps, the old woman didn't even look up, and casually asked, "What would you like to drink, sir?"

"What kind of wine do you people from the Central Plains usually drink during the Spring Festival?"

The old woman paused, slightly raised her eyes, looked at Meng Po, and then gave a meaningful smile.

"The Central Plains is just a small area near the Yellow River, while the Luo family's territory is vast, and the wines from different places are naturally different. The people of Shanxi love Fenjiu, while Yan and Yun have Jiannanchun. As for the capital, there are many more... I wonder which wine you would like to drink, sir?"

Meng Po sat down at the table, tilted her head and recalled for a few seconds. Knowing that Zhao Wumian was from Jiangnan, she said:
"Wine from Jiangnan".

"Then let's listen to Lan."

The wine is poured into the cup, and the cup is held in my hand.

Meng Po held her wine cup, glancing sideways at the remaining snow outside the window. The town had no tall houses, most of them were low, and through the eaves and roofs, the silver moon could be seen in the sky. The moonlight was like a hazy white mist, mixed with the remaining snow falling.

The old woman didn't seem like a江湖人 (jianghu person, someone from the martial arts world), but rather like a learned woman. Since Meng Po was the only customer in the shop, she introduced herself:
"This Tinglan wine has quite a history. It's said in the martial arts world that it's a wine from the household of Marquis Weiming."

Meng Po had traveled with Zhao Wumian for several days and had drunk quite a bit of Tinglan wine, so she naturally knew that this wine was produced by Zhao Wumian's aunt's winery. She wondered how this small tavern owner knew this, and asked with great interest:

“How come you see?”

The old woman lowered her head and continued pushing the abacus beads, explaining as she spoke:
"Twenty years ago, someone wrote the line 'When will the moon be clear and bright? I raise my cup to ask the blue sky' for this wine. On the stage in Jiangnan, as soon as this line was sung, people knew it was Tinglan wine. Later, hehe... Do you know why the reign title of the Central Plains dynasty was 'Guichan'?"

"Oh?" Meng Po wasn't interested in the poems from the Central Plains, but since this was related to Zhao Wumian, she couldn't help but take a closer look.

"May we all live long and share the beauty of the moon, though separated by a thousand miles... This is a poem written by Marquis Weiming to the Emperor of the Central Plains, and these two lines are from the same poem." The old woman was clearly knowledgeable and experienced, and she spoke with great confidence.

The poem Zhao Wumian wrote for Luo Chaoyan will undoubtedly be quietly dissipated from the martial world by the current emperor, who will then boast about how talented his man is.

However, Zhao Wumian didn't like copying poems to show off. In his more than twenty years in this world, he had only copied a few poems. Most of the few he did copy were given to his nemesis in the martial arts world... the dead.

Otherwise, he might have been able to become a top scholar.

bang——

Meng Po put down her wine cup and suddenly lost her desire to drink.

Who knew Zhao Wumian had such literary talent... He usually just hangs out with a wandering swordsman, only fighting and killing. I never imagined he would use his literary talent on the Empress of the Central Plains.

After gritting her teeth in silence for a while, Meng Po held her wine cup again, glancing out the window. Her once lively and cheerful green eyes now held a hint of loneliness.

She raises her cup to the blue sky, yet she knows not where her own moon is.

……

After Meng Po finished drinking a pot of Tinglan wine, she considered it as if she had celebrated the New Year herself. She paid for the wine, turned around, and walked out of the wine shop.

Whew whistling ...

Dark figures darted through the streets and alleys. Before anyone knew it, a dozen or so people had stood in a row on the street, heads bowed in reverence.

The leader said softly, "My lord, the sect leader wishes to speak with you to discuss matters concerning Mingdu."

Meng Po sighed almost imperceptibly. Ding Jingcheng died in Mingdu, and most of the people they brought with them also perished. Only Meng Po and her few maids survived.

Shen Tu Bu Zui certainly needed to ask her questions thoroughly, though he couldn't deny that he already harbored suspicions about her.

She stroked the Imperial Seal of the State in her bosom; it was hard, but not cold, instead it had a subtle warmth.

If Zhao Wumian hadn't left this item for her, Meng Po really wouldn't have been able to fool her...

She flipped her hand, took out the jade seal, and tossed it directly to the leader, saying calmly:
"That's the explanation."

The commander was shocked, but then overjoyed and quickly reached out to catch it.

The jade seal brushed against the moonlight, reflecting a few strands of pale moonlight that fell on Meng Po.

She discarded the Imperial Seal of the State, whether it was real or fake, she would discard it.

The shadowy figures got their hands on the item and scattered in all directions.

The streets returned to deathly silence.

The snow is falling again.

The snow fell silently on Meng Po's shoulder, and then melted silently.

She stood under the large red lantern for a moment, then turned and left, her footprints stretching out in the snow behind her, only to be covered by fresh snow again soon after.

She couldn't help but think that Zhao Wumian should have already returned to the capital and was enjoying himself with his Empress of Dali, living side by side as kings.

Humph.

Rustle, rustle————

As the night deepened, the dazzling fireworks in the capital's night sky began to fade intermittently, while the sound of wind and snow outside grew louder.

The noise from the rooftop room gradually subsided.

After the guests downstairs had eaten and drunk their fill, they naturally could not stay overnight in Zeng Lengyue's house. One by one, they boarded the ship and left, returning home.

Although Zhao Wumian had reached the pinnacle of both the imperial court and the martial arts world, he did not put on any airs of superiority. He stood downstairs, watching the guests from all directions who had traveled thousands of miles to the capital.

After they had all left, Zhao Wumian rubbed his forehead. He had drunk too much wine, and even he was slightly tipsy.

After standing outside in the cool breeze for a while to sober up, he turned around and went back into the hall.

Qingyan, however, hid behind the supporting pillar, under the hanging silk and satin, and peeked at him.

Zhao Wumian waved, wanting to talk to his little flame.

She turned and ran away in a flash.

Zhao Wumian smiled helplessly, stepped onto the wooden stairs, and arrived at the top-floor room. The windows were wide open, allowing for ventilation, but the smell of alcohol was still hard to hide.

Several beautiful young women, though mostly with flushed faces, were not good drinkers but had a competitive spirit and got into a contest, drinking an unknown number of jars of wine.

Luo Chaoyan was provoked by Xiao Yuanmu and drank a lot of wine for Zhao Wumian, which showed how swollen and red her lips were.

She wasn't skilled in martial arts and was usually a teetotaler, so she had long since passed out drunk and was fast asleep, nestled against the Empress Dowager. She had even forgotten that this was the Tai Xuan Palace, a branch of the rebels.

The Empress Dowager was already exhausted, and now, after enduring so much and drinking so much wine, she had taken off her shoes and socks and was resting fully clothed on the small couch in the side room, breathing evenly.

Although the Empress Dowager was usually quite wild, she was drunk at this moment, yet her sleeping posture remained elegant and noble, her sleeping face peaceful... This only made the contrast more striking.

Whenever Luo Xiangzhu gets drunk at this time, she somehow ends up being piled high in a daze.

So this time she learned her lesson and didn't drink much, but her master Mu Li'er didn't have the same concern. At this moment, she leaned on the princess's slender shoulder and closed her eyes to rest.

Xiao Yuanmu and Xiao Lengyue had a high alcohol tolerance. Although they were slightly tipsy and their cheeks were flushed, they had not lost consciousness. Now that the party was about to end, they sat at the next table and took out their ledgers to calculate the revenue generated by the various branches of Tai Xuan Palace.

With Zhao Wumian mediating, the sect, though not at odds with the court, still needs to be managed.

Shen Xiangge had also drunk quite a bit and was leaning back in his recliner by the window, letting the cold wind blow on him to sober up.

The recliner creaked and rocked back and forth gently, and from the side, one could see that the hem of her dress was also trembling along with it, so soft and supple.

Guan Yunshu wasn't drunk either. She was clearing away the dishes with Su Qingqi and Ziyi when Zhao Wumian came over and joined them in cleaning up, washing the dishes, and wiping the table.

Zi Yi stood with Zhao Wumian, wiping the tables and chairs with a rag while chatting with him.

When do you plan to go to the Western Regions?

"It will take at least two or three months after I and Chaoyan get married."

"Perfect timing. I'll refine Tianxuan Chen into a pill in the capital, and while I'm at it, I'll also work on the elixir formula I found in Mingdu... A few months should be enough time."

"Is that elixir really effective?" Zhao Wumian asked, his tone slightly skeptical.

Having reached his level of strength, his physique, internal energy, and martial arts are all beyond the realm of the mundane world. If he wants to go any further, he can only rely on comprehending the Nine Bells and pondering the profound and mysterious Dao of Time and Space.

Relying on external objects like pills to boost one's strength is of negligible effect... unless the pill can allow him to ascend to immortality in one fell swoop, but that is obviously impossible.

If such a mystery truly existed, Ji Yingshi would probably have already ascended to immortality and was no longer in the mortal world.

Zi Yi should indeed be called a 'daughter of an immortal,' she must possess many mysterious qualities, and every move she makes should carry some kind of extraordinary phenomenon...

But should the daughter of a celestial being be associated with extraordinary celestial phenomena?
Or perhaps, is the fact that Zi Yi's poisonous body, which even he cannot completely resist, also a kind of 'anomaly'?
Aside from immortals, Zhao Wumian truly couldn't think of any other poison in the world that could render him helpless.

Immortals can't all be ethereal and otherworldly. If there really are immortals in this world, the realm of ascension would obviously have its own social system, with each immortal fulfilling their own duties.

There will be the stable boy who steals peaches while raising horses, Erlang Shen who splits mountains to save his mother, the matchmaker who governs marriage, and perhaps even a poison fairy who is proficient in Gu magic.

Zhao Wumian suddenly paused, his heart skipped a beat, and he glanced sideways at Ziyi. Ziyi was wiping the elixir carefully, looking somewhat lost in thought, still pondering the formula for the elixir.

A few strands of hair fell down, landing on her profile, giving her a unique, languid, and alluring mature charm.

Seeing Zhao Wumian looking at her, Zi Yi looked at him with a puzzled expression, "What's wrong?"

“You are a fairy.” Zhao Wumian said with certainty, whether he was joking or serious.

Zi Yi paused for a moment, then her pretty face suddenly flushed red. She quickly looked away and raised her hand to tuck a stray hair behind her ear.

"There are so many people here, what nonsense are you talking about..."

She thought Zhao Wumian was praising her.

Shen Xiangge looked directly at her, her eyebrows furrowed, and she said with displeasure, "If the Imperial Tutor is a fairy, then what am I?"

Zhao Wumian wanted to talk more with Ziyi about Ji Yingshi, but there was no opportunity to be alone with her now. Besides, discussing such important matters during the New Year would only add to the troubles. He decided to wait until after the New Year to talk about it.

He then smiled at Shen Xiangge and said, "You are a spider demon."

"Spider demon?" Shen Xiangge tilted her head curiously.

"With one spin of silk, it tightly binds and traps me."

Shen Xiangge immediately burst into laughter, unable to contain herself. She boldly lifted one of her embroidered shoes, arched her toes, and pinched the hem of her skirt with her fingertips, revealing to Zhao Wumian her undergarments, which were tightly sewn together with a small indentation.

"That's where the silk starts to spin..."

"Shenxiang Pavilion".

The Empress Dowager's voice suddenly rang out, startling Shen Xiangge so much that her delicate body trembled. She quickly sat up straight and glanced to the side. The Empress Dowager had already propped herself up at some point, and her drunken phoenix eyes were looking at her with a slightly stern expression.

"Aunt, why are you awake?" Shen Xiangge forced a smile and asked softly.

"If you hadn't woken up, I wouldn't have known you were so unruly..." The Empress Dowager rubbed her eyes, looked away, scolded him, and then turned to look at Zhao Wumian, her tone immediately softening.

"When will Your Excellency escort me and the Emperor back to the palace?"

The Empress Dowager was drunk, her voice mature and charming, but her tone was soft and sweet. Anyone who heard it could tell that something was wrong. It was a pity that Luo Chaoyan was still fast asleep, otherwise she would have caught her red-handed.

Seeing that the Empress Dowager was so drunk that she no longer pretended, Zhao Wumian couldn't help but ask someone to bring her a bowl of hangover soup and bring it to her.

"Your Majesty, please sober up."

The Empress Dowager parted her lips slightly and opened her mouth adorably towards Zhao Wumian... wanting him to feed her.

Zhao Wumian looked slightly helpless, glanced at Luo Chaoyan to make sure she hadn't woken up yet, then sat down on the side of the couch and let the Empress Dowager rest her head on his shoulder, feeding her spoonful by spoonful.

Xiao Yuanmu was fully aware of the Empress Dowager's affair with Zhao Wumian. Upon hearing this, he did not raise his head, continuing to push the abacus with Xiao Lengyue, casually saying:

"If he sends you back to the palace, will he be able to return?"

The Empress Dowager narrowed her phoenix eyes slightly, chuckled, and said in a charming tone, "Of course she can't come back. The spider demon's aunt is, of course, also a spider demon."

Shen Xiangge rolled her eyes in a very charming way. It was always the same. Whenever she and her lover struck seductive poses, the Empress Dowager would scold her for not following the rules, but she herself was more unruly than anyone else.

Can't you set a good example?

But Miss Shen dared not say these words aloud; she only dared to think them in her heart.

"Then sleep here. He'll take you back tomorrow morning," Xiao Yuanmu said calmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

It was the Lunar New Year, and Xiao Yuanmu obviously wouldn't allow Zhao Wumian to sleep in the inner palace.

For the past twenty years or so, Zhao Wumian had always spent the New Year with her, but this year she's going to your Luo family? Are you kidding me...?

It didn't matter where the Empress Dowager slept, as long as she could sleep with her lover during the New Year. Upon hearing this, she glanced at Luo Chaoyan, who was fast asleep beside her, and then wrapped her arms around Zhao Wumian's neck, pouting her pink lips.

"I've already held back for so long at the dinner table... and now I have to do it again."

Shen Xiangge rolled her eyes, leaned back in the recliner, and let the breeze sober her up.

It was one thing at the dinner table, but now Zhao Wumian certainly couldn't be so affectionate with the Empress Dowager in front of so many girls, otherwise some people would definitely feel uncomfortable.

He shook his head slightly, picked up the hangover soup, and said, "The Empress Dowager is drunk. Drink some more hangover soup, and then take a bath later to get rid of the smell of alcohol..."

Before Zhao Wumian could finish speaking, the Empress Dowager had already wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself against him domineeringly.

boo~
The Empress Dowager held him tightly, offering her crimson lips in a passionate, intimate kiss. The soft, sweet touch and captivating fragrance were enough to drive any man in the world mad.

As the saying goes, when people are well-fed and warm, they think of other things. Zhao Wumian was no exception. As a young man full of vigor, his body naturally stiffened a bit uncontrollably.

Zi Yi blinked, feeling that if things continued like this, it wouldn't be long before she was the one being bullied. The other sisters would just sit on top of each other, close their eyes, and endure the embarrassment until it was over.

But she was poisoned and couldn't be saved... so she could only be stared at by nearly ten pairs of eyes...

Thinking of this, the woman in purple stiffened, her pretty face flushed, and she slowly retreated, then quickly found an empty room to hide.

Luo Xiangzhu's pretty face also flushed slightly. She looked away, only to see the drunken beauty Mu Li'er suddenly raise her eyes and look at the Empress Dowager. As if she had expected it, she immediately made a sarcastic remark.

"You, Shen Nange! The Empress Dowager, having an affair with a prince, and committing adultery in the harem! You told me before that you would never have an affair with anyone in this life, how long have you been hiding this from me? Tsk tsk tsk, you are usually pure and innocent, the mother of the nation, but in reality, you are lustful when you see Wumian. Is your skirt already wet?"

Mu Li'er's rapid-fire remarks surprised not only the Empress Dowager but also Zhao Wumian.

The other girls also turned their heads, paused for a moment, then became interested, looking like they were watching a melon.

Master has always forbidden Zhao Wumian from telling the Empress Dowager about their affair. Was he waiting for this day?
Even if the Empress Dowager was drunk, upon hearing these words, she instantly regained her senses. In the blink of an eye, a fine sweat soaked her dress, and a blush crept onto her delicate neck. Her pink lips trembled slightly, and she stammered:

"You, you...you, you didn't fall asleep?"

Her beautiful eyes widened, and she hurriedly pushed Zhao Wumian away, straightening her disheveled clothes. She wanted to appear as elegant and noble as ever in front of her sister, but she had kissed her too hard just now, and the area around her lips was red. No matter how she looked at it, something was wrong, and she immediately panicked.

Lately, I've been so wary of Luo Chaoyan that I've forgotten about Mu Li'er.

Recalling her confident vows, even the Empress Dowager felt her face burning and was speechless for a long time.

Seeing the Empress Dowager's expression, Mu Li'er finally felt a sense of triumph. Previously, she was always the one who got caught red-handed, but now it was finally her turn to catch someone else.

But as the saying goes, anger arises from the heart and evil is born from the gall. The Empress Dowager was no ordinary young girl; she was not one to allow herself to be wronged.

Having lived in the deep palace for so long, her ability to judge people is quite remarkable. The exchange of glances between Mu Li'er and Zhao Wumian is enough to tell a lot.

They were clearly not like a typical master and disciple, but she hadn't pointed it out because she lacked evidence.

Seeing Mu Li'er's mockery, she immediately reacted like a cat in distress, feeling ashamed and indignant. Without even putting on her shoes and socks, she rushed towards Mu Li'er barefoot and grabbed her sister.

"what you do!?"

Mu Li'er was startled and wanted to push the Empress Dowager away, but she was afraid of hurting her sister, so she didn't dare to use force and turned around to glare at her.

"Hmph! I refuse to believe that you and Wumian have nothing going on... Even if you don't, you'll have to tonight!"

The Empress Dowager immediately pulled Mu Li'er's elegant white dress off her left shoulder, revealing the flawless white silk bodice underneath.

"Shen Nange, are you crazy?!"

Mu Li'er blushed. She wasn't a shameless girl to begin with, so she couldn't help but struggle a bit. This movement only made her bodice bulge out, and it even swung around in a ball, trembling in the air.

He had drunk quite a bit of wine and sweated a bit. His master was also naturally juicy and plump, so he looked quite chubby.

Zhao Wumian had never seen the Empress Dowager and his master, these two sisters, tear each other apart like this before. The scene before him was so exaggerated that even this womanizer couldn't help but feel his blood boil.

I wanted to stop it, but it felt kind of funny... Did the Empress Dowager still think that Mu Li'er and he were innocent? They were family, and this commotion was like fighting with little kids.

Mu Li'er and Zhao Wumian had been in a relationship for a year, and she had been forced to drink butter and milk countless times. Not to mention being seen by her lover, she had even taken the initiative to push him away quite a few times. But being held hostage by her sister like this still made her heart pound.

If she weren't afraid of hurting the Empress Dowager, she would have broken free long ago. At this moment, her brows were furrowed with shyness, her eyes were glistening with tears, and she glanced shyly at Zhao Wumian before looking away with embarrassment, lowering her head and muttering to herself, just like Lin Daiyu who had been bullied.

"No, don't look..."

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager, without mentioning Zhao Wumian, shrank back slightly, realizing she had gone too far. She quickly pulled up Mu Li'er's dress and was about to let go to apologize when she heard Shen Xiangge say with interest:
"Auntie, please continue. Master Mu gave herself to my husband a year ago. The number of times they made love in bed together far exceeded the number of times you met with your husband. How could she really feel wronged?"

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager stood frozen in place.

Mu Li'er's pitiful expression froze for a moment, then turned into one of guilt.

The two women exchanged a glance, and seeing Mu Li'er's expression, the Empress Dowager immediately blushed as well.

"Fine, fine, fine!" The Empress Dowager gritted her teeth, uttering three words before her voice slurred out, "Mu Li'er, Mu Li'er, you've been keeping this from me for so long..."

"Sister, please let me explain..." This time it was Mu Li'er's turn to feel ashamed.

Seeing the two sisters start arguing out of fear, Zhao Wumian had no choice but to quickly smooth things over, "Alright, alright..."

As soon as he spoke, he saw the Empress Dowager barefoot. She tried to dodge her foot, then quickly came closer, put her hand on Zhao Wumian's shoulder, and straddled his lap.

Even the girls who had been watching the drama unfold were now in an uproar.

The Empress Dowager was indeed no ordinary woman. With one hand, she lifted her red skirt and began to unbutton Zhao Wumian's pants. Her phoenix eyes glanced at Mu Li'er, and she sneered.

"So the Marquis has been your man all along... Then tonight I will definitely take your man for myself!"

Mu Li'er was stunned, then blushed. "Shen Nange! How could you be so shameless?! Is there any way for an Empress Dowager to behave like this?!"

"What's wrong with me? Throughout history, countless empress dowagers have kept male concubines, dozens of them in total, but I don't like any of them. I only like the Marquis. How is that not worthy of being an empress dowager? Are you allowed to ride your disciple, but I'm not allowed to ride my lover?"

As Luo Xiangzhu watched the Empress Dowager speak, she actually took off a red undergarment from behind her knees and threw it on the ground.

Her face flushed instantly as she recalled her foolish days and nights in Kunning Palace.

The little mute boy couldn't speak, but the other girls couldn't bear to watch, and the room immediately erupted in chaos.

Then, at some unknown time, it transformed into painful groans and murmurs, along with a rhythmic, crisp sound.

But Luo Chaoyan was still sleeping there, and Zhao Wumian, worried about waking her, went to another room.

The other young ladies, of course, couldn't let the Empress Dowager have her all to herself, so they blushed and quietly followed.

Throughout this time, the Empress Dowager's feet never touched the ground; she held his neck tightly, her silver teeth biting his shoulder, and she was too weak to open her eyes.

rustle----

Snowflakes pattered against the window paper, their soft, delicate sound echoing in the still night…

(End of this chapter)