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

She was a girl who was good at hiding her emotions, and Yongzhen quickly regained her composure, asking suspiciously:

"who are you?"

It would be too easy for Chu Mingkong to verify his identity; he could simply take off his clothes and show Yongzhen his injuries. However, it was clear that he and Yongzhen had had even more intimate interactions.

For example, kissing, touching breasts... No, that seems to be something Madam Zhen did when she took over Yongzhen's body, not Yongzhen's own actions. Chu Mingkong almost had a memory lapse and let it slip.

Aside from tricking her into practicing oral... mouth-holding bead cultivation, the only intimate interaction between him and Yongzhen seems to be kissing each other's feet?

"I'm the one who kissed your toes before, and now I'm back to kiss them again, so you won't forget~"

Although this statement was rather unserious, it convinced Yongzhen of his identity, at least that he wasn't an imposter.

But this girl was also very suspicious. She even let him pull down her collar to check the injury before she completely trusted him.

"...You scoundrel, what kind of talk is this as soon as you arrive!" Yongzhen scolded, her worries of the past few days finally dissipating.

Yongzhen, that "lecherous scoundrel" line is Rong'er's line, you're stealing the show... Chu Mingkong smiled and pulled her to sit down, saying:

"I'm only providing evidence because I'm afraid you'll suspect me. This Abyss Wound might be faked, but no one outside the family knows about our experiences."

"I'm only leaving for a short while, how come so many things have happened in the capital? Are you even going to be married off for a political alliance?"

She had no choice but to remain silent about the marriage alliance. There was no room for choice in this matter, and she wasn't even mentally prepared for it; it was decided suddenly.

Seeing her reaction, Chu Mingkong moved even closer to her.

"I'm here for you, don't look so gloomy."

Yongzhen rolled her eyes at him, but she did feel a sense of relief because of his words.

"How can you help me? This marriage alliance is a matter known throughout the country. Once the decree is issued, even the emperor himself cannot easily retract it."

"A marriage alliance is only valid if there is a partner. I've killed several princes and I was just getting tired of it when another prince popped up. Let's see if the Yuejing royal family has enough princes."

If he hadn't said anything, Yongzhen would have almost forgotten Chu Mingkong's previous fearsome reputation. Coming to her senses, Yongzhen suddenly shouted:

Why did you suddenly take off my shoes and socks?

"I'll kiss your toes. If you want me to kiss you while you're wearing shoes and socks, that's fine too. I've got you stockings and high heels!"

Chapter Ten: Yongzhen Sends a Gourd

In the end, Yongzhen still didn't let Chu Mingkong kiss her feet, which disappointed Chu Mingkong quite a bit. However, since they had just met, it felt like the situation was about to take a strange turn.

But everyone needs something to look forward to, so Chu Mingkong carefully placed the white silk and shoes on the desk, almost as if he were offering them as a sacred object. He still needed to find an opportunity to continue discussing the matter of kissing feet with Yongzhen.

Yongzhen then looked Chu Mingkong up and down, and gently tugged at a strand of his white-streaked hair, as if to check whether it was an accessory or real hair.

Why are you dressed like this now?

Chu Mingkong had a premonition that he would be asked about this every time he met a girl afterward, and just thinking about it made him feel exhausted. However, he figured it would be easier with the Cui family; he could just call them together and explain.

He briefly explained the reason to Yongzhen and mentioned the convenience that his new outfit brought him, which Yongzhen found somewhat ironic.

“Hospitality is a good thing, but these petty officials don’t treat the people like human beings. Compared to this, it’s really ironic…” Yongzhen sighed, and fearing that Chu Mingkong would misunderstand, he explained, “I’m not saying that it’s wrong for you to come here after you’ve gained an advantage, I’m just stating the facts.”

"I know, but there's no use thinking about it now. Even if you do, there's nothing you can do. Do you have any ideas about the marriage alliance?"

Yongzhen shook her head. Now, if she wants to go out for a stroll, she will persuade her to return to the princess's residence under the guise of "protection".

"No, they didn't even consult with me."

Sure enough, women tend to feel helpless in situations like this.

There are basically no means of countermeasures. If it were an ordinary marriage between families, it wouldn't be impossible to explain and apologize properly if the engagement was broken off. However, this kind of marriage alliance under the guise of "friendship between the two countries" is almost marked with a moral label. Whoever breaks off the engagement is considered to be damaging the friendship between the two sides.

If Yongzhen were to break off the engagement, it would be condemned as an extremely heinous act.

"Yongzhen, let me ask you something. Have you met with the Emperor? After he woke up?" Chu Mingkong felt that Yongzhen should know something.

Unfortunately, Yongzhen still shook her head. She pursed her cherry lips and said:

"No, I went to the palace to request an audience with him, but he refused on the grounds that 'the Emperor is physically weak and prone to illness, and is not suitable to see outsiders.' But I did hear his voice, that's undeniable."

Chu Mingkong frowned. His unwillingness to show his face made Chu Mingkong very suspicious of the dog emperor's true identity. But he only felt suspicious. The emperor must have summoned his confidants, eunuchs, and relatives to his bedchamber to give instructions. These people must have met with him in person before they dared to carry out his orders. These people all had their own interests and it was highly unlikely that they would collude to pretend to be the emperor.

"Rather than saying he's weak and avoiding illness, it seems to me like he's hiding his true identity and staying indoors. Have the Empress and Jinyu seen him?"

“I have never met Jinyu, but Empress Pei seems to have met her once.” Yongzhen recalled the news she had heard. “I don’t know anything after that. The emperor has been quiet these days. Perhaps he gave all the orders he needed to do a few days ago, assigned more to the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs, and then continued to recuperate.”

Judging from this, it seems we really need to go to the palace again. Even if we can't see the emperor in person, we should at least sneak over to the empress to ask her.

"Since the emperor awoke, has he commented on what I did during these days, especially the killing of the princes?"

"You still know what you've done! Now you're afraid of being held accountable?"

Yongzhen looked at him with annoyance, but she was worried about Chu Mingkong's situation. She was concerned that if he continued to act "secretly" in the capital, something might happen.

It should be known that the people who drown the most are often those who can swim.

Those princes died without cause. Chu Mingkong did nothing wrong in terms of both reason and emotion. But reason and emotion are different. The emperor's dignity was hurt, and no matter what excuse he used, Chu Mingkong would become the target of public criticism.

But Chu Mingkong was definitely not afraid. However, he had to send his people out of the capital in the safest and most peaceful way possible, and he would try to keep a low profile as much as possible.

"What do I have to be afraid of? I'm the one who has the least to worry about. But now that I'm back, Yongzhen, you don't need to worry about your marriage alliance or Madam Zhen's matter."

"At worst, the moment you leave the capital, I'll disguise myself as a bandit and kidnap you and Madam Zhen, then transport you elsewhere and protect you."

When Yongzhen heard his "boastful words," although they sounded exaggerated, she felt a sense of reassurance coming from his mouth, like a warm current flowing through her heart.

“Mingkong, what you just said reminds me of something. Consort Wan…were you secretly detaining her in Xiling?”

You can tell from this? Could it be that the Xiao family is spreading rumors in the capital?

“Yes, the Xiao family originally planned to do something similar, but I intercepted them. Now that we’ve done it before, no matter what your reason for leaving, Yongzhen, if you want to stay in the capital, I’ll kill all those princes. If you don’t want to stay in the capital, I’ll kidnap you.”

"...reckless behavior."

Yongzhen gently scolded him, then got up and took out an exquisite and valuable box from the cabinet.

Inside was a jade gourd, its entire surface a translucent, jet-black color. At first glance, it seemed unremarkable, but upon closer inspection, it was quite beautiful. The color matched the black Chu Mingkong had worn earlier, though it clashed somewhat with his current Crescent Moon royal attire. However, overall, it was not a problem.

"What is this?" Chu Mingkong asked.

"This is for you. Before the marriage was arranged, Jinyu and I went to the Xianzhen Pavilion outside the capital. We saw this gourd and thought it was quite beautiful, so we bought it for you... You can change back into your original clothes later, as they will suit this gourd better."

Yongzhen scrutinized Chu Mingkong's outfit with the eyes of a "warm-up player," and Chu Mingkong sensed her care for the gift from the look in her eyes, which was somewhat similar to the one Fengying had given him when she dressed him up.

However, Yongzhen gave him a wine gourd... I wonder if there are gourd seeds or something inside this wine gourd, and if he prays to Buddha regularly, he can produce blood-nourishing medicine.

Wait, isn't this the Immortal Treasure Pavilion the one owned by Qingse? My girl went to Qingse to buy something, and she actually dared to charge her?

"Since Princess Yongzhen has given me something, how can I not reciprocate? Wait a minute..."

Chu Mingkong pondered the form of address and seniority for a moment, then changed his address:

"Yongzhen, in terms of seniority, you should be the Emperor's sister. I don't think you have any older sisters or anything like that. Now that you've regained your princess status, you should be the eldest princess. I've decided to give Yongzhen a few pairs of protective stockings as a gift, but I don't know which color would suit you. So, I'll have you wear them all once, and then I'll kiss Yongzhen's feet to show my sincerity!"

Emma: "!?"

Finally, to calm Chu Mingkong down, Yongzhen used her pair of jade-like feet, clad in black stockings, to press down on either side of his cheeks, preventing him from kissing her indiscriminately.

Chapter Eleven Chu Mingkong: I almost forgot about the progress

"Didn't you say you listened to me back then? I told you to stop, but you kept kissing me!" Yongzhen said reproachfully.

Just now, when Chu Mingkong pinned her down on the bed and kissed her feet, the subtle electric sensation of her skin touching his lips reminded her of the shared feeling she had with her mother on the eve of Chu Mingkong's departure.

The feeling at the time was similar. Her mother, Madam Zhen, had a dream of spring without leaving a trace (Yongzhen thought her mother was just dreaming). Because of the connection between the souls of the mother and daughter, Yongzhen was also transmitted to Madam Zhen's feelings in that dream, which really frightened her.

The tingling sensation on her thigh back then was similar to when Chu Mingkong kissed her now, and the feeling was... not bad. However, Yongzhen was afraid that if he continued to kiss her without any restraint, something embarrassing might happen, so she could only stop him.

“I did listen to Yongzhen. I remember that before I left the capital, Yongzhen said that she wanted me to show my sincerity by kissing my feet in a foreign land. I have always kept that in mind.”

Chu Mingkong was thrown onto the embroidered couch by Yongzhen at his own will. Even when Yongzhen pressed her black silk feet against his face, he did not resist. He held her delicate feet with both hands, as if afraid that she would run away.

Seeing Chu Mingkong's reaction, Yongzhen rolled her eyes at him, but hearing that he had always remembered what she had said, her heart stirred, and she asked suspiciously:

"Do these socks that have just become popular recently have some other meaning? To me, they look like conservative clothing, covering up women's legs completely, but your enthusiastic reaction, Mingkong, seems a bit strange. If you didn't know better, you would think these stockings were some kind of intimate clothing like a bellyband."

The fact that women in this world are unfamiliar with stockings is a great benefit to Chu Mingkong. They treat stockings as ordinary clothes, just like pants, and only find them strange and dare not wear them because of his enthusiastic attitude.

Chu Mingkong looked at the graceful and charming woman with an air of wisdom, then shook his head inexplicably:

"It doesn't have any special meaning. It's just a very ordinary pair of stockings that look like pants. I just felt that it suited Yongzhen very well, just like how I feel when I see a dress that suits Yongzhen."

Chu Mingkong used to prefer black stockings, thinking that white stockings were too childish and were always worn by young girls. He naturally didn't have any feelings for young girls, so he overlooked the charm of white stockings. But now that he has been living in this world for a long time, where women mostly wear white clothes and skirts, and having seen his master's wife and sister wearing white stockings for a while, he thinks that white stockings are not bad either.

When worn by women who prefer elegant white outfits, it accentuates their dignified and refined temperament. However, if they were to wear a white dress with black stockings, it would look rather strange, giving off a sense of the yin-yang black-and-white attire of a Taoist priest.

Yongzhen then inquired about Chu Mingkong's return and learned that he had rushed over from Xiaoxiang Qin Academy and came directly to see her as soon as he arrived in the capital. She then suggested that he rest in her room for a while.

"I thought Mingkong had gone back to his own palace or rested at the Cui family's place before coming here. But it's good that you haven't gone back to your palace yet. There are secret agents all around your palace, watching to see if anyone is active at your place. Don't go back yet."

"If you don't want to come back, then don't. I did have that plan before, but I heard that Yongzhen, the Emperor has appointed you to a marriage alliance. How could I have the mind to rest? I must have come to find you immediately. I didn't even ask you before I wanted to send you away for the marriage alliance?"

Why do I need to get through to your approval for my marriage alliance?

As Yongzhen spoke, she probably wanted to use her feet to pinch his cheek instead of her hands to scold him for being domineering and talking nonsense. However, she was afraid that it would look like she kicked him in the face, so she used her jade feet very lightly. To Chu Mingkong, it felt more like Yongzhen was rubbing his face with her warm and soft black silk feet, which he found very pleasant.

He was lost in thought for a long time before replying:

"According to the Emperor's instructions, Empress Pei arranged for me to contact you. Now she's bypassing me and betrothing you to a distant place for a political marriage. Where do you put my face? This is even more outrageous than the wine-selling Miss Zhang."

When Yongzhen heard him say that, she suddenly remembered how she met Chu Mingkong. They had been separated for a while, and it felt like a long time had passed. She had almost forgotten the helplessness she felt when she told Jinyu about this, as well as the anxiety she felt after she and her mother, Madam Zhen, switched bodies.

"Alright, Mingkong, stop talking. Rest here for a while to relieve your fatigue from the journey. Lie down quietly."

After chatting for a few more minutes, Yongzhen's boudoir fell silent.

Chu Mingkong remained calm, but he wasn't entirely unmoved by his Buddhist faith; he had discovered something quite embarrassing.

My trip back to Xiling from the capital was short, but I experienced a lot along the way. Ostensibly, the battlefield of this trip was the martial arts competition at Tianya City, but the actual events were far more numerous than the competition itself.

After everything was settled, it felt like a long time had passed. Now, back in the capital and meeting Yongzhen, he found that his memory was a bit confused.

Is my relationship with Yongzhen really that close? How far have things progressed in my dealings with Madam Zhen and Yongzhen and her daughter...?

This is not because he is indifferent to women or does not keep relationships in mind. Chu Mingkong remembers the matter of Empress Pei very clearly. He failed to expose her, and this shame has not diminished in the slightest.