tallest building

Chapter 348 Solution

As expected, the Empress summoned Qingxuzi to the palace.

After just one day of the dojo, I felt much lighter and slept much better.

The queen was overjoyed and Xuanqing Xuzi came to see her.

As predicted, Qingxuzi had white hair and a youthful face, and possessed an ethereal, otherworldly air.

"It is my honor to have the True Immortal enter the palace. I hope you will forgive me if I have not been able to receive you properly." The Empress spoke very politely. "In recent years, I have been dejected and listless. It would not be an exaggeration to say that I am like a withered tree and my heart is ashen. I implore the True Immortal to use your divine powers to remove my sins and grievances and let me live in peace!"

"Your Majesty's health is not good. Firstly, it is due to worry and overwork, and secondly, it is because some villains are secretly cursing and practicing witchcraft." Qingxuzi said bluntly, "It's like a peony. No matter how well a peony grows, if insects secretly cut its roots and eat its leaves, how can the flower remain bright and beautiful over time?"

"What? Did the immortal master realize that someone was using witchcraft against me?" The Empress was shocked. She had only guessed, and besides, this was a taboo subject in the palace, and most people wouldn't dare to mention it.

"I never lie. Your Majesty is the mother of the nation, with all kinds of rare and precious tonics in the palace, and skilled imperial physicians, yet you still cannot eat or sleep. This is too contrary to common sense," Qingxuzi said. "There is clearly a dark aura shrouding the southwest of the palace. If Your Majesty does not believe me, please have someone accompany me there. I will surely be able to find the place where the poison was planted."

“Southwest…that’s Hui…” Yu Lulu blurted out, but then stopped herself.

"Yu Lu, take your men now and go with the immortal to see if there is anything there." The empress was impatient and didn't want to wait a moment longer after hearing this.

"Your Majesty, this is lotus seed soup cooked by Zhang Ma, topped with sugarcane juice." Wen Mingqian held up a jade bowl with a sunflower-shaped rim, containing lotus seed and water chestnut soup.

Because the empress had a fondness for both cold and sweet things, the soup was cooled down and then topped with chilled sugarcane juice.

The Empress took the food and ate it in small bites, nodding with great satisfaction: "Why do I find this even more fragrant and delicious than usual today?"

"It's good news that Your Majesty's appetite has improved," Wen Mingqian said with a smile.

“Yes, Your Majesty, I see that you look much better today than usual. It’s clear that this immortal is truly effective and has real skills,” Chunying quickly added.

"I hope so!" The Empress certainly hoped that she would regain her health from then on, but she dared not have too high expectations.

A person who has been physically unwell for a long time will inevitably change in temperament and mood. The Empress, who had been troubled by insomnia for nearly ten years, was no exception.

Wen Mingqian finished serving the soup and then withdrew.

Before long, Yu Lu rushed back, carrying a wooden box in his hands.

The wooden box should have been painted red, but it had been buried in the ground for too long, and some of the red paint had peeled off and rotted.

"Your Majesty, this thing really was unearthed in Mingjing Palace! Inside was a wooden figure, with nails driven into its seven orifices and its heart, and it was also splattered with foul blood." Yu Lu said, opening the box, "Look—"

"Just as I thought! Since she cursed Tan'er, she'll naturally curse me too. What a vicious heart!" the Empress said bitterly. "Letting her commit suicide is too lenient! She should be torn to pieces!"

The Empress especially could not tolerate Consort Hui harming her behind her back, because Consort Hui was the one who had received the most favors from her in the palace.

“The Chen family repays kindness with enmity; they are truly unworthy of being human,” Yu Lu said. “However, this Daoist Qingxuzi is indeed remarkable; he actually possesses the ability to observe qi. It is also a blessing from heaven that Your Majesty's calamities have been averted.”

"Show this to the Emperor," the Empress said. "So that His Majesty may also know that I have not been faking illness all these years, but have been under a curse."

Then Qingxuzi entered. The Empress rose and bowed to him, saying sincerely, "Please continue to pray for my well-being and to ward off misfortune, Daoist Master. I will always be grateful to you."

“Your Majesty is too kind,” Qingxuzi chuckled and shook his head. “This humble Taoist does not wish for any reward. I only wish that Your Majesty will enjoy good health and peace in the harem from now on, but not for this matter of performing rituals.”

"What do you mean by this, Immortal Master?" the Empress asked, puzzled. "Since I am cursed, I must use magic to break the curse. What else can I do?"

“Now that the witchcraft has been exposed to the light, it has been broken,” Qingxuzi said. “There is no need to perform any further rituals.”

"Please enlighten me, Immortal Master," the Empress earnestly pleaded.

Unexpectedly, Qingxuzi remained silent this time and refused to speak.

The Empress was naturally anxious and asked several more times.

He had just said, "I'm afraid Your Majesty won't believe me if I tell you, so it's better not to."

"Please speak freely, Immortal Master. I will not doubt you." The Empress said firmly, "As long as I can do it."

"In my humble opinion, Your Majesty's destiny is characterized by an excess of fire and a lack of water, making you prone to yang excess. If someone plots against you in the southwest, they could easily cause Your Majesty to fall ill."

"Then shall I send people to guard that place year-round, day and night, and keep watch?" the Empress asked hastily.

“Even if we do that, Your Majesty will only be safe and the status quo will remain,” Qingxuzi said. “She will not be able to receive any benefit or nourishment.”

"Then what else needs to be done?" the Empress asked. "Please tell me frankly first, so that I won't worry about this anymore."

“The best solution is to have one of the empresses in the palace, whose destiny is dominated by water, move there. This would make the feng shui of the palace most favorable to the empress,” Qingxuzi said.

"That's easy. Just check which concubine in the palace has the element of water and have her move to Mingjing Palace." The Empress thought it couldn't be simpler.

“Your Majesty, it’s not enough for her to have an abundance of water in her birth chart. This person must share the same zodiac sign as Your Majesty, and their birth month must not differ by more than a hundred days. More importantly, she must be utterly loyal to Your Majesty and have no disloyalty whatsoever. In addition, she must have a son,” Qingxuzi said.

"There's no such empress in the palace!" Yu Lu said, troubled.

What concubine in this palace still has a son?

If such a person existed, there would be no need to adopt someone from outside the palace.

"I also find it strange, but I cast a divination and it shows that this person is in the palace. However, I have also inquired and there is no one in the palace who matches this description, so I find it strange." Qingxuzi smiled bitterly.

"And what if they are childless?" the Empress asked.

“If a childless concubine were to move in, she would soon be plagued by bad luck, and might even lose her life,” Qingxuzi said. “In that case, Her Majesty the Empress would certainly not be able to bear it.”

In truth, the Empress had nothing to be reluctant about, but she couldn't say it out loud.

Furthermore, the number of concubines in the palace is limited. Even if one is deposed, how many years can the palace maintain its status by replacing her with another?
Besides, if everyone knew they were going to their deaths, they might even curse themselves, so how could they be loyal?