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

"You've come to the right person. What is your relationship with the Yueqi royal family?"

The Crescent Moon people hesitated for a moment, feeling that the other party was asking too many questions. Not wanting to reveal their strength, they simply replied vaguely, "So-so."

That usually means the relationship is very bad. There's no room for neutral forces to settle in that place; it's either friend or foe. Even the small tribe that Kazekage had to choose sides and seek protection.

It's fine as long as the relationship is bad!

"This Princess Yongzhen is the daughter of the former Empress Dowager. Do you understand her status?"

"So the Empress Dowager is the Emperor's wife, and the princess is the Emperor's daughter?" The man looked at Chu Mingkong uncertainly.

...Does your tribe have a custom of steaming one's mother to repay her sister-in-law?

"Ahem, you can understand it as someone of the late emperor's bloodline who also has the qualifications to compete for the throne; in short, their status is quite extraordinary. According to what I heard at the Xiling Tea House..."

The Emperor of Tianji had a secret agreement with the Yueji royal family: the Emperor would support the Yueji royal family in reconquering Baihu Plain and restoring the Yueji Kingdom, in return for the Yueji royal family sending suitable beauties to the Emperor as his empress and favored concubines.

The Crescent Moon people were shocked; there was actually such a secret collaboration involved?!

"They actually resorted to selling women to gain help. The Yueqi royal family is no longer the glorious royal family it once was; now they're nothing but spineless cowards... Which teahouse in Xiling can find out such inside information?"

“Uh…” Chu Mingkong stammered and skipped over it, then continued to add information: “However, trouble will eventually break out. When Princess Yongzhen arrives on the territory of the Yueji royal family, she will surely bring bloodshed.”

"What do you mean? Could it be that she's a ruthless and vicious woman?!"

"No, it's one of Princess Yongzhen's followers and powerful protectors, who is willing to be a bootlicker who licks her boots. He is very dissatisfied with the emperor's decision to arrange a marriage alliance and will definitely cause trouble later!"

The Crescent Moon people exchanged glances, discerning a thoughtful look in their companion's expression... If they could cooperate with a powerful follower, they might have a chance to overturn this marriage alliance!

"How can I get in touch with this powerful sycophant?"

Chu Mingkong wanted to act mysterious so the other party wouldn't think it was fake, but the Crescent Moon Man misunderstood and said "I understand," then slipped him a piece of gold.

"He will naturally appear near Princess Yongzhen. His distinguishing feature is that he is wearing a tin can and carrying a heavy sword."

After Chu Mingkong finished speaking, he saw the gate of the Princess's residence open and a palace maid went to deliver food to Princess Yongzhen. Chu Mingkong instantly activated his Annihilation Domain.

Those in the distance cannot see what is happening in the Realm of Annihilation; their gaze is intercepted as soon as it touches the realm, and nothing within it can be fed back.

Those nearby were immersed in a realm of annihilation, completely unaware of what was happening.

The palace maid carrying the food box stopped in mid-air with her embroidered shoes. The guards behind her took a step in unison, and their steel boots landed on the ground before they could even make a sound.

Chu Mingkong walked straight into the Princess's residence, knocked on the door politely and elegantly, and then opened the door and went inside.

The realm of annihilation vanished.

The palace maid took a step she hadn't finished before the sound of guards' footsteps echoed.

Business as usual.

--------

PS: "蒸母报嫂" is not a phrase I made up; it means to marry. It was a rare custom in ancient times.

Chapter 104 At Least Half of the Wine and Women Were Absent

"So even this kind of trap-like barrier can be rendered useless, that's impressive."

Chu Mingkong discovered some traps in the corners of the Princess's courtyard wall. These were places Yongzhen would never go near, but they could deter some petty thieves who tried to climb over the wall. Upon closer inspection, it seemed that even the newly built walls of the mansion had a faint aura of a protective barrier.

If Chu Mingkong hadn't gone straight through the main gate this time, he might have triggered the event by stepping on the mansion wall on a whim.

"This time we shouldn't be caught like turtles in a jar."

Chu Mingkong waited in the courtyard for a while until the palace maid who delivered the meal arrived at the princess's room, placed the new meal in the new food box, and left with the old food box. Only then did Chu Mingkong activate his Nirvana Domain and enter her room.

Yongzhen had long since stopped eating, and food was no longer a necessity for her body. She would only eat a few bites occasionally to pamper her taste buds. She basically didn't touch these dishes. When the palace maid entered the room, she was holding a book and reading. After the maid left, she continued to read quietly, but simply used her spiritual magic to suppress the smell of the food so that the whole room would not be filled with the smell of the dishes.

With Chu Mingkong's arrival, the entire room was shrouded in a deep gray. Yongzhen's movements froze at the moment she turned the page, her slender, fair fingers picking up the page like a flower, her eyes waiting for the next page.

Chu Mingkong picked her up and let Yongzhen sit on his lap. Then, with a thought, he withdrew the Annihilation Domain.

Yongzhen didn't react at first and continued turning the pages of the book. But when the page she had turned fell, she suddenly realized that the chair under her bottom felt wrong!

She tried to dodge, but couldn't escape because Chu Mingkong's hands had already wrapped around her waist.

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, it's me!" Chu Mingkong quickly said.

"...Mingkong, how did you do that?" Yongzhen asked after a moment of silence.

Yongzhen knew, of course, that Chu Mingkong could appear and disappear unpredictably using his concealment technique, but even so, if he made a big commotion, he would still be detected. This time, however, she was certain that she hadn't sensed him at all; Chu Mingkong had simply appeared abruptly behind her, wedged her between her and the chair, and then hugged her.

Unless she was unconscious, it was impossible for her to feel nothing at all.

"A new trick, I'll teach you when I have the chance. How have you been lately?" Chu Mingkong realized this was the greeting he used most often recently.

"Well, I'm fine. I just stayed in the mansion until the day I left the city for the marriage alliance. I heard that Jinyu and the Empress have some news, but unfortunately I don't know what's happening outside."

Chu Mingkong told her the details and considered whether to ask Yongzhen about the soul cultivation technique... Let's leave that topic for later and focus on finalizing the remaining marriage arrangements.

"Come on, Yongzhen, take a look and see if you feel anything special this time. Do you have any other spiritual connections with this puppet?"

"Mingkong, you're not trying to find a topic to start a conversation about, but you're going to play with the dolls again later...wait?"

Yongzhen was stunned, immediately abandoning her suspicions about Chu Mingkong's ulterior motives, and looked at the doll on the desk in disbelief.

A strange yet natural connection appeared between her and the doll, seemingly absent yet present. This feeling was unlike anything she had ever experienced before, yet it did not feel abrupt, as natural as her consciousness controlling her body's actions.

The doll on the desk slowly sat up. The doll, which looked exactly like Yongzhen, was stiff for a moment, but quickly became smooth, just like a person who had just woken up and was still confused.

"Why... do I have a feeling that I can control this doll?" Yongzhen said. The doll's lips moved as if it was trying to speak, but unfortunately, the doll could not speak.

Chu Mingkong had thought he would soon see Yongzhen multitasking and controlling two bodies, but it seems that even cultivators would find it difficult to do so in a short time.

"I don't know either. Could it be that my touch on this doll a few times has caused some changes in its body?" Chu Mingkong was glared at by Yongzhen and raised his hands in surrender, admitting his mistake: "Okay, okay, I won't talk nonsense or joke anymore. Could it be that your soul has been bound to this doll for a long time, or that your soul is different from ordinary people, so the connection with this doll has changed?"

Could it be due to the cultivation method I practice?

Yongzhen gazed at the doll with curiosity and focused intently, trying to distract herself by controlling it. She quickly made some progress; the original body remained seated in Chu Mingkong's lap, but the doll shifted its body, raising its long, slender, snow-white legs towards Chu Mingkong...

Then, she stretched her foot towards Chu Mingkong's face and lightly kicked him. Perhaps Yongzhen couldn't control the doll to exert too much force, or perhaps she didn't intend to kick too hard. Her soft foot just left a mark on his face.

Chu Mingkong licked the sole of her foot without any politeness. This time, the doll reacted much more strongly. The doll's feet curled up and trembled along with Yongzhen's feet.

It seems that Yongzhen's feet are particularly sensitive; every time someone kisses her delicate feet, Yongzhen's subconscious reaction is quite adorable.

“Yongzhen, I want to try a move I’ve wanted to try for a long time. Don’t be afraid.”

After exchanging greetings, under Yongzhen's questioning gaze, Chu Mingkong picked up Yongzhen and the doll together, and carried them to the bed to lie down. The two graceful beauties on his left and right sides looked like he was holding a pair of sisters.

Yongzhen herself was experiencing the sensation of being embraced twice by Chu Mingkong, and her expression was strange.

Previously, there was only a tactile resonance, but now it's completely her consciousness residing in the puppet. Apart from not being able to see or speak, this puppet is not much different from her own body. She can even directly use her energy to cast spells!

Yongzhen looked at Chu Mingkong warily:

"I have a feeling this is a trick of yours, Mingkong. You're going to use this doll to do bad things to me again!"

"No way! I would definitely let you know first! I would never do anything malicious. Besides, I've inquired privately, and this doll can block a fatal blow for you. It's perfectly fine!"

As he spoke, Chu Mingkong recalled that when he played with this doll last time, Madam Zhen seemed to have been in a similar state, her consciousness entering the doll, but her movements were obviously not as natural as Yongzhen's.

Perhaps because they were closer at the time, Madam Zhen was able to control the puppet somewhat through her spiritual connection with her daughter. After all, the puppet was modeled after Yongzhen, and her control over it wasn't as natural as Yongzhen's. Now that the distance has increased, Madam Zhen can no longer sense the puppet's connection.

Using the connection between the puppet and the soul, Chu Mingkong and Yongzhen chatted briefly about the puppet before moving on to the issue of the soul cultivation technique.

“Yongzhen, I was afraid you didn’t trust me before, so I didn’t press you for answers, making it seem like I was putting pressure on you to find out more. But now I’ve sensed something strange about the Emperor, so I couldn’t help but ask you.”

Yongzhen withdrew her attention from the doll, which returned to its calm state. She vaguely guessed the question Chu Mingkong was about to ask and nodded.

"...Okay, go ahead and ask."

Chu Mingkong looked at her sincerely, his eyes reflecting her beautiful and refined appearance:

"During the emperor's serious illness, his body remained in his palace, but it seemed as if he had gone on a journey. This is not something that can be done by ordinary means. Then I thought of you and Lady Zhen."

"Yongzhen, was your body switched with Madam Zhen's for a period of time...?"

Yongzhen had kept this secret all along, and even her close friend Jinyu was unaware of it. In the past, whenever the souls were swapped, Yongzhen would have her mother, who was in possession of her body, hide in her room and pretend to be unwell.

How did you discover that?

Chu Mingkong recalled when he had officially realized something was wrong. It seemed to be before Madam Zhen was about to switch back to her body, when she kept emphasizing the secret rendezvous. Then, during their late-night rendezvous, he checked the filial piety ledger and touched Madam Zhen's body to confirm the feel of her, which confirmed that she had indeed been replaced by another person.

It seems it's not appropriate to be honest with Yongzhen about this unexpected turn of events involving Madam Zhen...

"It just feels different. There was a period of time before that I felt that Yongzhen and Madam Zhen suddenly became different people, especially in their attitudes."

However, such a thing was too far-fetched, and I had never heard of any such technique, so I was never sure. I assumed that my relationship with you was not close enough at the time, and I didn't know you well enough, but the guess was definitely still in my heart.

Now that the emperor's doubts are before me, I thought of you and wanted to ask you about them.

Yongzhen had kept this a secret before because he couldn't trust the people around him, but now that he and Chu Mingkong had reached this point, and he had guessed about 70-80% of the truth, Yongzhen decided to stop hiding it.

She reached out and loosened her clothes, revealing her smooth, white breasts. On that snowy white skin, a strange pattern was imprinted in the middle of her breasts, part of which disappeared into the deep cleavage.

"During the time my mother controlled my body, did she show you this?"

This is a death problem...

Chu Mingkong recalled how "Madam Zhen" had opposed and guarded against his relationship with "Yongzhen" all the time. She must have realized long ago that he and "Yongzhen," the soul of Madam Zhen, were being too intimate.

He chose to be honest, but his voice was very soft and lacked confidence.

"Yes, I immediately identified it as a 'virginity mark' from some kind of cultivation technique..."

"You saw that 'I' was very confused at the time, so you tricked 'me' into showing you my breasts?"

Chu Mingkong was sweating profusely, and he said seriously:

"That's not true... Okay, this is on me, but I had no choice at the time. I was completely captivated by Yongzhen's beauty, so I showered her with gifts and treasures. And back then, Madam Zhen seemed to completely believe herself to be Yongzhen, asking me to help her untie her breast wrap..."

However, I swear, during the time Madam Zhen occupied your body, Yongzhen, I absolutely did not do anything outrageous that could have harmed your vital essence.

Although there was no physical union, Madam Zhen experienced almost every other intimate act, including kissing and hugging. Moreover, once Yongzhen and Madam Zhen's bodies were switched back, they soon... did something out of line during their secret rendezvous at night.

There was really no way around it. Chu Mingkong understood that alcohol and women could easily lead people to do foolish things. He had already quit drinking, but there were some things that were truly irresistible.

Chapter 105 You're still kissing me randomly!