His Highness the Madman gave in again today.

"What's wrong?"

He was sleeping soundly when he suddenly opened his eyes wide. Startled, Feng Xingyu immediately asked anxiously, "Did I hurt you? Are you feeling unwell?"

"…no."

Mo Sangyu sat up in bed: "I forgot about Yin Yue. Half a year has long passed. Has Chu Canglan sent any message saying anything?"

"I thought it was something serious."

Feng Xingyu pulled her into his arms: "I did send a message a while ago, asking if we had any candidates for a new city lord, but I didn't say anything else."

So calm and collected?

Mo Sangyu lay down again; she couldn't go on.

Exhausted.

Let's talk about it after I wake up.

Seeing that she had closed her eyes and fallen asleep, Feng Xingyu gently and affectionately tucked her in.

The next morning, Mo Sangyu slept until the sun was high in the sky before waking up.

In this vast harem, she was the only woman; there were no concubines, no empress dowager, and... no rules.

In other words, she is the rule.

Whether you sleep all day or until the sun is high in the sky, no one dares to say a word against it.

This kind of life of lying flat doesn't seem so bad.

It's just... bad for your back.

Mo Sangyu glanced at the spot next to her; Feng Xingyu was no longer there.

She sat up, wrapped in the blanket, and after a while, dragged her aching body out of bed to wash up.

Hearing the commotion, the palace maid who was serving her came in and found Mo Sangyu already dressed. Startled, she hurriedly knelt down to beg for forgiveness.

"This servant deserves to die. I failed to notice that Your Highness had woken up in time. Please forgive me, Your Highness."

"Um?"

Sang Yu frowned: "Did I show... that I was going to blame you?"

The palace maid prostrated herself on the ground, her voice trembling: "Your Majesty, please forgive me, it was my fault... I failed to serve you properly."

Looking at her slightly trembling shoulders, Mo Sangyu suddenly understood.

It wasn't what she did, but the palace maid's own fear.

The new dynasty had just been established, and the empress was a legendary figure known for her unpredictable methods, whom even the emperor favored and indulged. These palace servants were uneasy and afraid of making a mistake.

Get up.

She softened her tone: "You don't have to do that in the future. I don't have that many rules. Just do your job well."

The palace maid looked up blankly at Mo Sangyu's calm face before slowly getting up: "Thank... thank you, Your Highness."

If this had happened to any of the empresses in the past, they would have been severely reprimanded, if not punished with a beating.

This Empress... doesn't seem as dangerous or terrifying as the rumors suggest.

"Your Highness, would you like a meal served?" the palace maid Tao Tao asked cautiously.

"No rush."

It was almost lunchtime, so Mo Sangyu got up, intending to go find Feng Xingyu to have lunch with her.

Eating alone is no fun.

She had just stepped out of her palace when Eunuch Lian Chen came running up with a message: "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! You must come quickly! There's been an assassin attack at the Imperial Study..."

"What?"

Mo Sangyu walked quickly towards the Imperial Study.

However, before Eunuch Lian Chen could finish his sentence, he added, "He's... an acquaintance."

Before he finished speaking, Mo Sangyu's figure had already disappeared into the corner of the corridor.

What a great speed.

It's faster than he can speak!

Eunuch Lian Chen turned to the palace maid Tao Tao, his face stern as he reprimanded her: "What's wrong with you? As the Empress's head maid, why didn't you arrange for a retinue to accompany her when she goes out?"

Tao Tao lowered her head: "Father-in-law, you saw it yourself, which ceremonial guard could keep up with Her Majesty's pace?"

"…quibble."

Eunuch Lian Chen snorted, then turned and jogged back quickly.

At such a young age, he became the Grand Eunuch by His Majesty's side, and he couldn't resist showing off whenever he had the chance.

On her way to the Imperial Study, Mo Sangyu wondered who would be so bold and capable as to barge into the Imperial Study.

Looking back, she should also set up a defensive barrier for the palace.

Mo Sangyu walked quickly through the corridor to the outside of the Imperial Study, but there was no panic as expected.

The guards stood at attention as usual, and the hall was unusually quiet.

She was puzzled, but pushed open the door and went inside.

Inside the warm pavilion, the scent of ambergris mingled with the aroma of tea.

Two men sat facing each other across the chessboard; one was dressed in a cold, aloof black robe, while the other wore casual clothes with dragon patterns.

Chu Canglan?

It's really hard to keep up with the nagging.

The person I mentioned just last night has appeared right in front of me today.

Feng Xingyu, holding a black chess piece, was intently studying the chessboard when he heard the noise. He looked up and, seeing it was her, his cold expression instantly softened: "You're here."

Mo Sangyu's gaze swept across the room, finally landing on Chu Canglan. "The way you came is quite unusual. I thought an assassin had actually broken in."

"That disappoints you."

Chu Canglan put down the white chess piece in his hand and turned to look at Mo Sangyu: "I don't have the ability to assassinate you. I want to live a few more years."

Mo Sangyu resisted the urge to roll her eyes and walked to the chair next to Feng Xingyu to sit down.

His gaze fell on the chessboard.

The black and white pieces crisscrossed, locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle.

"You guys have quite the leisure and refined taste."

They actually started playing chess.

"I don't have the time."

Feng Xingyu explained, "If I win this game, Lord Chu will have to return to Youdu City and obediently serve as its lord. If I lose..."

He looked up at Chu Canglan, a slight smile curving his lips: "The only thing we can do is set him free and let him go."

It turned out to be a betting scheme.

Chu Canglan had only agreed to manage the city for six months, but the time limit had now passed, and they still hadn't found a suitable person to manage Youdu City.

In fact, no matter who you choose, no one could be more suitable than Chu Canglan.

and so……

Mo Sangyu's gaze fell once again on their chess game.

She's not good at this.

All I could do was give Feng Xingyu a "good luck" look to express my support.

Feng Xingyu turned his head to meet her gaze, gently curved the corners of his lips, turned his head back, and placed his piece with even more composure.

Chu Canglan noticed their subtle movements and suddenly spoke up: "Your Majesty the Empress."

Mo Sangyu looked at him.

"Did you forget something important?"

Chu Canglan's gaze shifted from the chessboard to her face. Beneath that calm facade lay an barely suppressed urgency: "The six-month period has long passed; I've already waited more than half a month longer."

"I haven't forgotten."

Mo Sangyu chuckled: "I thought you weren't in a hurry."

"put……"

Chu Canglan was so angry she almost cursed, but feeling the pressure from the other side, she forcibly swallowed it back: "How could I not be anxious? Just tell me, when do you plan to help my Yue'er be reborn?"

When Mo Sangyu heard him mention this matter, her emotions were clearly a little unstable.

A game of chess is like a battle; one cannot afford to be distracted.

"It was only to help her purify the demonic energy in her soul. I checked on her last night, and she's doing well now and can be reborn at any time."

"at any time?"

Chu Canglan's breath hitched, and his fingers gripping the chess piece tightened abruptly.

He had never expected it to be so...simple.

The taut string was suddenly plucked, and my mind was momentarily lost.

In that instant of tremor, the white piece in his hand, which was crucial to the life and death of an entire chessboard, fell with a "thud" into the place it should never have landed.

A desperate situation that had already been secretly surrounded and sealed off by the Black pieces.

In the next instant, a black stone cut in like a sharp blade, completely extinguishing all of White's chances of survival.

"Once a move is made, there's no going back."

Feng Xingyu leaned back, a victor's smile playing on his lips: "Lord Chu, you've lost."

"...Lost?"

Chu Canglan was taken aback and suddenly turned to look at Mo Sangyu.

Mo Sangyu looked innocent: "You brought this up yourself, and I didn't lie to you intentionally, so it's not cheating, right?"

"..."

After a long silence, he nodded and smiled, "I lost."

"Thank you for your concession."

Feng Xingyu's smile deepened: "Then, Youdu City..."

"I will go back."

Chu Canglan interrupted him, his voice resolute, but his gaze turned solemnly to Mo Sangyu: "But before that, I want to see Yue'er, the complete, living Yue'er."

Feng Xingyu stopped speaking and looked at the person beside him.

Mo Sangyu nodded: "No problem, you can stay here for two days. After two days, I will tell you where to find her."

"it is good."

Chu Canglan stood up excitedly: "Then I'll have to trouble Your Majesty the Empress. I... will wait."

After saying that, he turned and walked out of the imperial study. The light in his eyes was like that of a drowning man who had finally grabbed onto a drifting wooden boat.

He had waited for this day for far too long.

Finally, he got what he was waiting for!

After Chu Canglan had walked away, Feng Xingyu turned to Mo Sangyu and asked, "Is this matter troublesome? Will it...?"

"Won't."

Mo Sangyu knew what he was asking and answered first, "It's very simple, it won't consume too much spiritual energy. You can have lunch by yourself."

"So eager?"

"This matter has to be done sooner or later."

She stood up: "I'll go prepare now, it'll be done quickly."

Feng Xingyu nodded: "Okay."

Mo Sangyu returned to her palace and closed the door.

She opened her palm, and a completely black jade bottle appeared.

The bottle feels cool to the touch, with a subtle shimmering effect.

This is a soul-nourishing bottle she specially crafted, containing the pure soul body purified by Silver Moon.

She placed the jade bottle on the table, took out a blank talisman, and used her spiritual power to draw a special tracking talisman.

The runes are intricate, yet executed in one continuous stroke.

A glimmer of light flashed across Fu Cheng's face in an instant.

Then, she opened the bottle, and a wisp of soul, glowing with the radiance of moonlight, floated out and gently circled around her, seemingly sensing her presence.

Mo Sangyu took a closer look at Yin Yue.

So this is what she looks like.

very beautiful.

At this moment, Yin Yue was unconscious; her soul was pure and flawless, untouched by any dust.

Mo Sangyu placed the tracking talisman into her soul. With a flash of light, the talisman disappeared into the depths of her soul.

"Go."

Mo Sangyu spoke in a low voice, forming a hand seal and circulating spiritual energy to outline a shimmering, undulating doorway in front of her, resembling ripples of water.

"Follow the pull, find the body whose energy is about to die and whose magnetic field is in harmony with yours, and from then on, you will be reborn."

The soul lingered beside her for a moment, then entered the dimly lit door. With a flash of light, it disappeared along with the door.

The whole process, though seemingly simple, actually takes quite a while.

Having settled one matter, Mo Sangyu breathed a soft sigh of relief.

The spiritual energy consumed by this secret technique is nothing to her now; the main thing is that it requires a high degree of concentration.

She pushed open the door and went out, only to find that it was already completely dark outside, and the palace lanterns in the corridor outside the hall had already been lit one after another.

The lights were still on in the Imperial Study.

She walked over and pushed open the door.

Feng Xingyu was sitting behind his desk reviewing memorials. On a small table next to him were several untouched dishes, all kept warm with a heat lamp.

Hearing the voice, he looked up, put down his pen, and asked, "Finished?"

"Um."

Mo Sangyu walked over: "Why haven't you eaten yet?"