Who is spreading rumors that my filial piety towards them has changed?

The Princess of Chu selected several familiar maids and said:

"You few stay here. The City Lord's Pavilion doesn't need so many people to manage it. The rest of you go back to Qingxin Mansion. Those of you who stay, listen up. This is Lord Zuo. Once you see him enter the City Lord's Pavilion, you will go to another floor to wait for orders."

The newly arrived maid was sent away by the Princess Consort of Chu, which pleased Consort Wan.

Chu Mingkong said:

"Xiao Zhi's mother's identity still needs to be hidden. Those maids are probably overjoyed to find out that the city lord's 'Left Consort' is actually their own Chu Princess Consort. Shouldn't we explain the rules to them?"

The Queen Consort of Chu said:

"These rules are taught to them by the elders, it's not my place to waste my time teaching them... Mingkong, do you think these court clothes are beautiful? Although the robes of royal families in different regions have their own styles, they are generally designed according to the regulations of the royal family. To talk about the Empress and the like is a bit far-fetched. To talk about the nearer ones, Mingkong, do you think your mother, Consort Wanhua's, Noble Consort's robe is beautiful?"

Chu Mingkong hesitated to speak. The topic seemed ordinary, but considering that Princess Chu had most likely discovered what happened the night before, it became quite pointed...

He twitched his lips, silently withdrew both hands, and said:

"I... have no taste in clothes, but I feel that no matter what they are, they all look exceptionally beautiful on my two mothers. And because I love them both, I feel the same way about your clothes!"

"Now that I've finished my official duties, I have some free time. Does Wanhua have any extra imperial concubine dresses? May I borrow them to try on?" Princess Chu said with a soft laugh, as if she were just mentioning it casually.

Chapter 245 Returning to an Old Place?

The Queen Consort of Chu usually displayed an attitude that was not outwardly expressive; she could be described as serious, yet with a faint smile on her lips; she could be described as approachable, yet with little genuine joy in her smile. This made it rather difficult to fathom her true feelings.

When Consort Wan heard Princess Chu mention the clothes, she was suspicious. Just the night before, she had been intimate with her son, Chu Mingkong, while wearing Princess Chu's robe. But that was the day before yesterday. If she really wanted to cause trouble, wouldn't it have been better to do it during the day yesterday?

Over the past two days, the Princess Consort of Chu's attitude has not changed much. In fact, when she woke up this morning, apart from sleeping in a little longer, she seemed to be in a good mood.

...It doesn't seem like they've discovered something and are going to investigate.

"What's wrong, Wan Hua? Why have you suddenly stopped talking?" Princess Chu asked, her smile still gentle.

"It's nothing, I'm just surprised that you suddenly have such a leisurely mood. If you want to see it, I'll show it to you right now."

Consort Wan went back to her room to retrieve her clothes. She had a special bracelet for storing clothes, but she didn't carry it with her at all times, otherwise it would feel like she was carrying around a wardrobe.

Before long, Consort Wan brought out a set of imperial concubine robes, while Princess Chu also brought out a set of unused princess robes for comparison.

Two gorgeous and elegant gowns were laid out on the desk for comparison, and two mature female sisters knelt there discussing and comparing them, enjoying each other's company.

One moment they're discussing the needlework, the next they're discussing the patterns.

Chu Mingkong, who was listening nearby, felt a chill run down his spine and his heart pound with fear.

He was about to make an excuse that his master, Zuo Qiuchi, needed him and take the opportunity to escape when Princess Chu stopped him and made him sit between his two mothers.

The Queen Consort of Chu asked:

“Mingkong, although you did not make the Xiling King talisman recognize you as its master, it is still strange for your mother, as a woman, to recognize it. From now on, the de facto Xiling King will still be left to you. Originally, you should have decided on many things long ago, such as the matter of the Queen Consort.”

This matter was unexpectedly delayed, but we should always be prepared. Based on your preferences, what style of dress would you like for the future princess? Should it follow the old system of Xiling, or be modified to imitate the regulations of the imperial family in the capital?

There is actually no single answer to this kind of question. Even though the King of Xiling is the local tyrant of Xiling and can do whatever he wants, the aristocratic etiquette, including clothing, is not so casual.

Inheriting the ancestral system is the orthodox and only answer. Even if changes are made, they should be made on the basis of what the ancestors have passed down. What is the point of abandoning your own traditions to learn from others?

Simply discussing the significance of status, a princess consort who was granted the title of king corresponds to the empress of the emperor, and even if one were to truly learn from her, it would be to learn from the empress.

The question that the Princess Consort of Chu asked Chu Mingkong was a death sentence: choose the Princess Consort instead of the Imperial Concubine.

Consort Wan had already discerned the Chu Princess's competitive intent, but she was unaware that the Chu Princess already knew the inside story. Therefore, Consort Wan assumed that the Chu Princess was simply making a fuss about the clothes, rather than referring to the events of the night.

Consort Wan, employing a strategy of feigned retreat, took the initiative and said:

"That's a good question. Even if you favor Mingkong, you can't be willful when it comes to matters of the ancestors. No matter how much Mingkong likes the robes of an empress, a noble consort, or a princess consort of another king, in the end, you still have to return to the ancestral system!"

Chu Mingkong's right eyelid twitched upon hearing this.

Doesn't this imply that he truly loved someone else, and only chose the Princess of Xiling because he had no other choice...?

No, these two mothers are both quite shrewd; we can't let them continue their friendly interactions.

Chu Mingkong quickly seized the opportunity to speak, subtly focusing his hatred on himself, and said:

"That's true, but... as the saying goes, true beauty lies in the bone, not the skin. If clothes are the skin, then beauty is the bone. Actually, I'd like to see what it would feel like to wear the same clothes on different beautiful women's bones."

Actually, when I was bored in the capital, I even asked on the black market if I could get some dresses from other princes and concubines so I could compare them closely.

This was to tell the Princess Consort of Chu that it was his idea and thought to have Consort Wan play dress-up before, and that she should not be blamed for it.

Consort Wan scolded in a huff:

"These kinds of things can't be bought just anywhere. Every robe is made by the imperial embroidery workshop. Those artisans who have mastered the embroidery techniques wouldn't just let some smuggled goods out there; they'd lose their heads."

"It wasn't out of curiosity, of course I know that, but I was so bored in the capital that I thought I'd try my luck in the black market." Chu Mingkong pointed to the embroidered waist decoration on the imperial concubine's robe and said, "This waist-cinching design is rare in Xiling. If Consort Xiao Zhi's mother wore it, it would look very good!"

Princess Consort of Chu: "......"

She wanted to continue her verbal sparring with Consort Wan, but suddenly she fell silent, her red lips pursed, her gaze inadvertently falling on the clothes.

At this point, it's necessary to further divert the hatred outwards, creating a common enemy... Chu Mingkong silently apologized to the dog queen in his heart, and then proceeded to speak eloquently:

"Everyone says that Empress Pei is the most beautiful woman in the world, and that her robes are adorned with a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix. I'm so curious to see if she's really that beautiful. Sigh... Consort Wanhua, you had many opportunities to meet Empress Pei in the palace. What exquisite details are there in her clothes?"

"I forgot!" Consort Wan said, displeased.

"Has Empress Xiao Zhi met her?"

"No!" Princess Chu was also unhappy.

The conversation ended unhappily, and the two radiant and mature noblewomen each packed up their clothes and went back to their rooms. When they reunited, the Princess of Chu suddenly said that she had forgotten a favorite hairpin at the mansion and needed to go back to retrieve it, asking Chu Mingkong to accompany her as her bodyguard.

This reason is valid and does not fall under the category of going out for leisure, so there is no need to continue to treat Consort Wan equally and bring her along as well. Moreover, if the two of them frequently enter and leave Tianya Tower, it will easily increase the risk of exposure and thus cause trouble for Chu Mingkong.

Chu Mingkong accompanied Princess Chu to the mansion, and they remained almost silent throughout the journey in the carriage.

Chu Mingkong tried to find topics to talk about, but none of them were very good at starting. The conversation ended after a few awkward sentences, making him even consider whether he should touch her buttocks to ease the silence.

However, he ultimately couldn't bring himself to do it and continued trying to find something to talk about.

"Mother, I forgot some hairpin, and you even went to the trouble of finding it yourself. I could have just run the errand to get it for you," Chu Mingkong said awkwardly, hoping the conversation wouldn't end so soon.

"It's not really a hairpin that's important. Ornaments are just external things. I don't know how many new ones I have to buy every year. The main thing is that I want to get you out of this mess," Princess Chu said frankly.

I knew it would be like this. It seems they're planning to be upfront about it. But Chu Mingkong was already prepared. Let them come. He can't deny the mess he made.

However, his gaze fell on the street scene outside, and he suddenly realized something, asking:

"Mother, which mansion are we heading to?"

"The mansion where you changed the dressing, the one where you tormented Mother all night, there's still a set of clothes that Wan Hua forgot there."

"...?"

Chu Mingkong felt that things were starting to get serious.

Chapter 246 The Old Chicken is Wet

The extreme abyss border fortress.

Because of Chu Mingkong's previous accidental observation of this place, Tianya Tower has been arranging people to monitor and investigate the vicinity of the Jiyuan border fortress, and to be vigilant for the appearance of any suspicious persons, especially Buddhist people.

In terms of surveillance alone, this is an easy order to execute, because in places where the aura of the extreme abyss is dense, even if a teleportation array is built, it is difficult to resist the erosion and can only support teleportation for a short distance. This short distance can almost be described as a standing long jump for a cultivator.

Therefore, if there are suspicious individuals in the Abyss region who want to be exposed, they would normally have to come out on foot. The most effective method is to increase manpower to monitor them. Tianya Tower even invested in sending some independent cultivators to operate near the border, so that they could have more strength if anything happened.

Of course, the independent cultivators all regarded this mission as a sucker, a pure exploitation. They didn't need to enter the Abyss region; they only needed to stay in the border fortress, drink and chat, and occasionally go up to the city wall to cast a few spells to attack the approaching Abyss beasts from a distance.

Relaxed, carefree, safe, and at ease.

After a month of stationing, you can receive a considerable amount of spirit stones as a reward before leaving. Although it is not as good as some missions in the sect, it is easy. It is like the difference between men and women - not the best, but not the worst either.

It was another daytime. Although the sky around the Abyss was always gloomy, and the normal daytime was similar to dusk and night outside, this did not prevent the rogue cultivators from relaxing.

"I'm finding out now that this reward isn't so easy to get..." a rogue cultivator remarked after finishing his shift.

"What do you mean?" Another wandering monk who was drinking tea perked up his ears.

Several cultivators who were meditating nearby also gathered around. The Abyss region could not be relaxed at all; any small disturbance could cost them their lives. In any case, the payment was settled every five days, so if there was any trouble, they could run away without any loss.

Life is the most important thing!

"It's a bit weird. When I was casting a spell on the city wall to repel those ferocious beasts from the abyss, I saw some skeleton soldiers. I've heard before that things in the abyss slowly turn from flowers and plants into cats and dogs. Now even the skeletons are starting to move. I'm really worried that there might be some changes in the future. What if something really runs out of the abyss one day?"

"Hey, this is just a little girl's skirt being blown up—it's just a gust of wind, don't scare yourself."

"You don't understand. You have to be careful near the Abyss. Otherwise, if you get hurt by the Abyss for a few spirit stones, it's like a little girl sitting on a big rock—the harm is too great for the little girl!"

“What you say makes sense. If something really happens, it’s best to run away first. It would be like a man throwing a wrestle against a rock – like an egg hitting a rock.

As the group chatted, one of them suddenly became unusually perceptive and interrupted their conversation.

"Quiet, listen to what that sound is? I think I'm hallucinating."

"Is that... the sound of chanting? How can there be chanting, drumming, and horn sounds here?!"

----------------

Chu Mingkong and Princess Chu entered the Xiao family mansion.

The Xiao family had been preparing a victory banquet for a long time, practically treating themselves as the new royal family of Xiling. They used the Chu Princess's Xiao family background to transfer many of the Xiao family's assets to her, and purchased a lot of land. Now, all of these assets have become the Chu Princess's possessions, including several mansions in Tianya City.

The impression this mansion left on Chu Mingkong was mostly of Xiao Zhi's mother's perfect body and a night that tested his willpower; there was nothing else.

Now, as he accompanied her for a walk around the mansion, he realized that the mansion was even larger than he had imagined.

Each mansion can be considered a themed luxury residence. The focus of this mansion is on the lake. The house occupies only a small part of the entire mansion, while a larger part of the land has been transformed into a tranquil lake.

There was no sign of human presence anywhere, except for the occasional bird that flew across the lake, creating ripples.

Being in this tranquility makes you feel as if the whole world consists only of yourself and the people around you.

The two strolled to a small dock where a tourist boat was moored.

“Mingkong, it’s been a long time since I’ve taken a boat trip on the lake,” Princess Chu suddenly said.

If you were to drift to the center of the lake by boat, it would be difficult to find an excuse to escape.

Chu Mingkong went over to inspect the boat, feeling somewhat relieved. He said regretfully: