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

Yongzhen felt conflicted upon hearing this.

If she had learned this news when her relationship with Chu Mingkong was strained, she would have been furious. Putting aside the issue of their social status, it was also a matter of a young woman's innocence to have been seen by someone without her knowledge. Now that she had done even more outrageous things with Chu Mingkong, it was not so hard to accept that he had seen her, even though she only learned about it from Chu Mingkong now.

While it's easy to accept, there are also aspects that are hard to accept. This was shown to him by his mother, Madam Zhen. So, did he see her or his mother?

My mother was so confused back then that she forgot her own identity and developed feelings for Chu Mingkong. So what's going on now? Could it be that my mother has regained her original body and is secretly contacting Mingkong, still maintaining a connection with him?

That's how quick-witted women are; upon hearing a piece of information, they can instantly extend their associations to many more possibilities!

Yongzhen stared coldly at Chu Mingkong. Chu Mingkong wanted to maintain his upright and confident demeanor, but he was ultimately guilty, and his aura became increasingly weak in Yongzhen's gaze.

"We'll discuss this matter further after the marriage alliance is concluded; I don't want to distract myself now!"

"Of course, Yongzhen can go as deep as she wants then..."

Chu Mingkong breathed a sigh of relief, but he really needed to seriously consider the matter with Madam Zhen later, as it was not good to drag it out either way.

However, this is a dilemma. Madam Zhen's attitude is clearly that she dares not take another step forward, yet she is reluctant to take another step back. Chu Mingkong also does not want to easily break ties with Yongzhen. When Madam Zhen bowed down, although there were various unforeseen circumstances involved, Chu Mingkong had kissed almost every place Yongzhen could touch except for the last hurdle. It is truly impossible for him to pretend that nothing happened.

"According to what you've said, the emperor most likely relied on this method of soul exchange to escape from the palace during his serious illness. The late emperor, who was also my father, obtained this technique from an ancient tomb ruin he discovered on the battlefield during the founding of the dynasty a long time ago. It wasn't until his later years that the late emperor was able to translate it completely."

However, the true name of this technique is unknown; it was given a name by scholars over several generations based on its content. Some call it the "Great Art of Longevity and Soul Transfer," while others call it the "Great Divine Technique of Soul Transfer."

The fact that the emperor could use the word "immortality" suggests a certain personal bias, though it reflects the common pursuit of most cultivators. However, in the eyes of those who cultivate beyond worldly concerns, immortality means purifying the mind and reducing desires, severing worldly ties, transcending the mortal realm, and single-mindedly pursuing eternal life.

Chu Mingkong had no intention of judging the right or wrong of others' thoughts, but personally, he felt that immortality was a lonely pursuit. If life were a painting, then this kind of detached and desireless immortality would be like a blank painting with no end in sight. Although the lives of ordinary people are short, the colorful paints have already accumulated to create the depth of their lives, making them anything but thin.

So how did the emperors intend to achieve immortality?

Body swapping and possession?

"What would emperors do with this technique? Soul transfer is extremely dangerous. What if someone's soul were transferred into an emperor's body? Wouldn't that make them emperor?"

Yongzhen shook her head; she wasn't quite sure.

"This technique was only translated by the late emperor in his later years. I don't know what it was used for, and I don't know if the current emperor has mastered it. I think it must be quite difficult... I've only made this much progress after practicing for so long."

But during these years of forced soul transference with my mother, many of her memories and emotions have remained with me?

"memory?!"

Chu Mingkong was somewhat surprised. He had indeed witnessed Madam Zhen's state after her soul was transferred. She was confused and didn't even know who she was. How could those lost memories be preserved in Yongzhen's body?

Unfortunately, Yongzhen poured cold water on his enthusiasm:

"There are more emotions involved. The memories that my mother 'left behind' here when her soul was transferred are all blurry images, like having your face pressed against murky water to see the world. You can't hear the sounds or see the images clearly. The only thing you can feel is my mother's feelings in these memories."

Coldness, worry, fear, hesitation... the only clear glimmer of joy was perhaps when she became empress.

The title of Empress was probably the highest honor for women in the secular world. With the praise and embellishment of emperors and empresses in secular education, women would probably be happy and eager for this title. This desire might not be because they had any feelings for the emperor, but simply because this status was almost solidified in the hearts of most women as the "most worthwhile goal to pursue".

The joy of becoming the wind among a hundred birds was quickly replaced by negative emotions after the truth about the empress's identity was discovered.

"Is it because Madam Zhen's soul was damaged in the past that her memories are unclear, or is it because the memories are not yours, Yongzhen, that she can't see clearly?"

Yongzhen shrugged her shoulders and sighed helplessly.

"I don't know, but I think it's best to keep these emotions to myself. My mother still has some unpleasant memories from the past, but she's much happier now than before. Although, based on my experience, she seems to be getting more and more dazed and gentle..."

This means he's carrying all of Madam Zhen's past negative emotions onto himself. Chu Mingkong didn't know what to say.

If we care about Yongzhen, should we let her return her memories and emotions, and let Madam Zhen face those unpleasant things on her own? From Madam Zhen's perspective, does caring about her mean letting Yongzhen keep those negative emotions?

Chu Mingkong released his arms from the doll, gave Yongzhen a bear hug, and held her tightly in his arms. Yongzhen wasn't like Jinyu who liked to act coquettishly. His previous impression of her as plain and sickly was now more of a restrained strength, although this strength was often rendered powerless by his random kisses.

Chu Mingkong's caring and comforting hug made Yongzhen feel a little uncomfortable, as if she were being treated like a spoiled little girl like Jinyu. But the feeling was... not bad at all.

"Normally, as long as I don't deliberately try to recall those memories, they don't affect me most of the time, so there's no need to worry so much."

So that means it happens only a small number of times?

“…Hmm.” Yongzhen paused, then had to admit, “When I meditate, sometimes I accidentally think about things that make me feel bad. After a while, I sometimes can’t even tell whether those emotions are mine or my mother’s.”

Chu Mingkong felt that other people's memories would have some impact on him. Memories are the remnants of experiences, and the emotions experienced personally are unique products of those memories. Even if the memory fades, the emotions generated at that moment can affect a person's entire life.

Yongzhen always felt the strong emotions of Madam Zhen, a firsthand witness, rather than the emotions of an audience member who had spied on someone else's memories.

Chu Mingkong didn't know how to resolve the situation either, so he could only offer some vague words of comfort:

"I think Yongzhen, you just don't have enough happiness of your own. I'll try to make things easier for you from now on..."

Yongzhen said coldly, "I don't need to be coaxed."

"Yes, yes, I misspoke. I will try my best to win Yongzhen's heart from now on!" Chu Mingkong changed his words. Seeing that Yongzhen nodded in satisfaction, he continued with a smile, "Always staying in that small courtyard, you haven't experienced much. When you meditate, you can only think of unpleasant things, right? In the future, I will try my best to let you have more different memories when you meditate."

Yongzhen thought about it, and the deepest impression this guy left on her was that he kissed her indiscriminately on all sorts of places without any restraint...

For example, right now, he's been talking for a while, and just a moment ago he was hugging her tightly, but now his face is almost buried under her armpit.

"Yongzhen, I've heard that getting closer to each other can make you feel happier!"

"Explain yourself, is it 'close' or 'intimate'?" she demanded, staring at the restless Chu Mingkong.

"A closer kiss is also a form of intimacy!"

Chu Mingkong tentatively lifted Yongzhen's jade-like arm, revealing her smooth, tender armpit and side breast from beneath her arm. A faint, alluring fragrance wafted out. This method of parting and revealing was akin to helping a girl spread her legs.

His movements weren't too hasty, giving Yongzhen room to react. If she didn't want to, she could just tuck her arms between her legs to refuse. He couldn't really force her, could he?

Chu Mingkong deliberately slowed down his movements, and Yongzhen showed no sign of resistance; she simply turned her face away and ignored him.

Although it wasn't yet the long night, Chu Mingkong couldn't wait to bury his face in it and begin to slowly taste the armpit.

Yongzhen remained expressionless, even closing her eyes, but her eyebrows trembled occasionally, and her fragrant lips sometimes involuntarily let out a soft, sweet breath. She secretly comforted herself: at least it wasn't her feet, so the reaction wouldn't be so obvious...

After kissing for most of the day, Chu Mingkong showed no sign of letting go. Yongzhen, controlling the puppet, tapped his head to remind him it was time to end the kiss.

"Yongzhen, are you feeling any better now? Are you feeling happier?"

"I feel a bit nauseous." Yongzhen's pretty face was serious, but unfortunately, the faint blush on her cheeks was a bit distracting, and she didn't seem to realize it.

"It's alright, let's fight fire with fire then. If you feel disgusted in the future, at least you can come to me to whine and vent your anger. You can't vent your anger on Madam Zhen, can you?"

After saying that, Chu Mingkong released Yongzhen's delicate body, turned around, and Yongzhen was wondering what he was doing. As a result, Chu Mingkong hugged the doll and lifted the doll's arm to give it another armpit pound.

Yongzhen's body went numb. Chu Mingkong was much more unrestrained in kissing the puppet than in kissing her real self, but the problem was that the puppet was now almost indistinguishable from Yongzhen herself.

"Stop kissing! You've been kissing me for ages!"

Yongzhen hurriedly climbed onto his back and pinched his cheeks to stop Chu Mingkong from kissing the doll. The doll struggled softly in Chu Mingkong's arms, and its knees, which it raised from time to time, would accidentally rub against Chu Mingkong's sensitive spots.

After a day of playful bickering, Yongzhen and the doll lay panting on the embroidered couch, their clothes disheveled. Their cheeks were flushed and fragrant, making them alluring and a rare sight to behold.

Chu Mingkong sat up and said:

"I'll go take a stroll around the palace area and see how things are going. Yongzhen, you can stay here and get used to controlling this puppet. If there's a chance, I'll take you out of the capital directly, leaving the puppet here to provide cover."

Chapter 106 Her Little Mouth Is Powerful

Chu Mingkong sought a greedy yet safe way to do many things, not wanting to take risks, but wanting everything.

This change in the doll provided Chu Mingkong with a huge opportunity to improve his plan. Originally, he intended to keep Yongzhen in the capital and under the control of the royal family, and then proceed with the marriage procession as usual, arriving at the territory of the Yueqi royal family before proceeding with the next steps.

In this situation, although the Tianji Royal Family certainly did not want Yongzhen's marriage to go wrong and they were determined to protect Yongzhen's faction, from another perspective, Yongzhen had always been in their hands and the initiative was not in their own hands. Therefore, all changes had to be made according to the wishes of the Tianji Royal Family.

Giving the choice to the enemy is the most unsettling decision!

But things are different now. If Yongzhen can skillfully control the puppets, then the marriage alliance can be arranged by having the puppets act as substitutes. If anything happens, she can simply sever the connection between the puppets and Yongzhen, or have Yongzhen control the puppets to self-destruct.

Yongzhen himself was unharmed; Chu Mingkong could simply bring out another puppet to play with later.

"Now we can only hope that Emma has a good grasp of the doll. If that doesn't work, I'll just have to stay invisible and accompany Emma the whole time, playing with her all the way..."

Putting aside his thoughts, Chu Mingkong arrived near the palace. The level of security here was no different from before, probably because Chu Mingkong's infiltration of the palace had not gone wrong.

However, the patrolling Imperial Guards still carried the aura of those skeleton soldiers, only now they were dressed in human skin and looked no different from ordinary people, but the dullness in their eyes could not be concealed.

"Is this dragon energy or dragon vein yin or yang? It's not surprising that a dragon vein can generate extremely yang power. It was extremely yang when it was used by Eunuch Cao. But now, yin creatures can be raised near the palace. The night I entered the palace, it was even more eerie."

Chu Mingkong muttered to himself as he reviewed the methods the Imperial Guards used to test him, gaining a general understanding of the situation. He then moved to the Princess's residence to find Jinyu.

Just then, as Chu Mingkong arrived at the Princess's residence, Jin Yu's carriage entered. Presumably, she had just come from the palace. Empress Pei had been so humiliated, so Jin Yu had no choice but to go and keep her mother company.

Relying on his unreasonable Annihilation Domain, Chu Mingkong swaggered into the princess's residence right in front of the guards.

Jin Yu entered her boudoir. Everything that had happened in the palace recently had left her physically and mentally exhausted. Now, all she wanted to do was lie down on the bed and rest.

Despite not being able to sleep, every time she closed her eyes, ominous images would flash through her mind: her mother's unexpected death, the empire continuing its usual peaceful and prosperous life, and a new empress being appointed without anyone caring what had happened to her mother.

On the bed, she could clearly see that it was just bedding when she lay down, but in a moment of distraction, she found herself lying on a familiar chest.

The voluptuous princess looked blankly at the broad chest beneath her, blinked, and stared at Chu Mingkong's face, wondering if she was imagining things.

Jin Yu was cautious and careful. She pulled open the man's clothes, turned her head, and peered inside to check if the abyss-transformed heart and her own extreme yang power were on it. Then she reached out and touched the familiar and huge wisdom root magic weapon, which confirmed his identity completely.

"Chu Lang, how did you appear? Why didn't I see you on the bed just now? I was even lying face down with the blanket on. How did you turn into you in the blink of an eye...?"

Jin Yu's method of confirming his identity was indeed direct and efficient. Chu Mingkong originally intended to sincerely comfort her, but her antics made him unable to help but laugh.

"Little trick, I just picked you up without you even noticing, and then lay you down again, so it looks like the blanket has become me."

"I saw what you mentioned in the note and came over immediately. Since you weren't here, I went to Yongzhen's place first to check on her. I ran into you returning home as soon as I came out; it's quite a coincidence." Chu Mingkong had actually just found out that Jinyu wasn't in the princess's residence. His first thought after arriving in the capital was to check on Yongzhen. His words to Jinyu were somewhat flattering, but at a time like this, he didn't want to cause Jinyu any more trouble.

Upon hearing this news, Jin Yu smiled faintly on her charming face:

"Of course, Mingkong and I are compatible according to our birth charts, so fate seems to be on our side in everything we do."

"We don't really get along that well, do we?" Chu Mingkong suddenly became serious.

“How can we not get along!” Jin Yu also became serious and emphasized.

"Jinyu's vagina is so tight and constricting, it overflows after just one round of watering. You've had your fill, but I'm still a bit short... sigh..."

While Chu Mingkong may have exaggerated in these words, Jin Yu's musical skills were indeed rather shallow (referring to her relatively shallow level of musical and zither playing), and she would reach the bottom with just a little effort.

Every time, Jin Yu had to use all her persuasive skills to clean up the mess for him.

Jin Yu grew anxious as she listened, her eyebrows furrowing, determined to prove just how compatible she and he were:

"That was at the very beginning. Now, Chu Lang has shaped my heart completely. If anything is not right, then it is. Besides, I've used every available part of my body during each cultivation session. Isn't that just right? Otherwise, what's the point of having a mouth? How could this princess not serve you obediently every time?"

Wow! Jin Yu's mouth is really something else. If only she could put some of that energy into actual combat training.

But seeing that Jin Yu still had the energy to talk back, Chu Mingkong felt much more at ease. He immediately nodded in agreement, otherwise he would have pushed her too far.