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

"That seems to make sense!"

“It’s not just ‘seems’, it’s clearly exactly like that!” Jin Yu gently touched Chu Mingkong’s forehead with her forehead, then adjusted her position and nestled comfortably in his arms.

Chu Mingkong let her hug him for a while, asking about things in the palace intermittently. He was relieved to find out that Empress Pei had not encountered any misdeeds.

"Chu Lang, why do you smell like a woman? The scent of your cosmetics seems familiar..."

“Oh! It’s from Madam Zhen. I told Madam Zhen about your mother’s experience. Madam Zhen was very worried about Yongzhen’s situation in the capital. I held her and comforted her for a while. Maybe it was her scent.”

So that's how it is. Yongzhen and Madam Zhen lived together for many years, and the mother and daughter basically used the same things. They bought their cosmetics, combs, and the like from the same shop.

"In that case, Chu Lang, you shouldn't have let Madam Zhen know, causing her unnecessary worry and fear for Yongzhen."

"It was my fault. I didn't think that much at the time, and Madam Zhen happened to be right there. By the way, here's something for you to try. It can be used as a life-saving charm."

Chu Mingkong then took out a newly replaced Jin Yu doll and explained the process in the same way, asking Jin Yu to try binding it. If Jin Yu could also have a substitute, it would be much more convenient.

Jin Yu stared in astonishment at the unprecedented doll. As she curiously observed it, Chu Mingkong noticed a small black phoenix tattoo on the back of Jin Yu's neck, about the size of a finger, similar to the one the Empress had that night.

His heart sank. Were they keeping a close eye on Jin Yu?!

Chapter 107 The Scheming Woman

Inside the palace.

A man in a golden robe stood with his hands behind his back by the window, gazing at the view of the capital city from the high-rise building. Behind him, a man knelt on the ground, remaining motionless for a long time, waiting for the emperor to speak.

After a long silence, the emperor finished thinking and finally spoke:

"Is the method effective? Can it guarantee that everything will go smoothly? The matter of raising phoenixes cannot be delayed for too long. It is too passive to leave the initiative in the hands of fate for too long."

"Your Majesty, this matter is still in the experimental stage, but we have already successfully transferred several different constitutions to others, but the success rate needs to be improved."

Rare constitutions cannot be passed down normally. Even if both parents have the same unique rare constitution, their offspring are only more likely to be born with the same constitution.

The Golden Crow Phoenix Body is an essential physique for the empire. In the past, while one empress was in power, another Golden Crow Phoenix Body was already prepared. That is to say, behind every empress who was in power, there was always a empress who was planned to be in power.

However, since the time of the Empress Dowager of the previous dynasty, it has been difficult to find a suitable Golden Crow Phoenix Body. Pei Mi was fortunate to find one. She was an illegitimate daughter of the Pei family. Originally, they planned not to care about her, but they accidentally discovered her abnormal constitution. The Pei family was overjoyed and immediately offered her to the royal family.

Realizing the oppressive sense of crisis caused by this "generational gap," the emperor not only intensified his search for empress candidates but also secretly tried to ensure the continuation of the existing Golden Crow Phoenix Body.

If we put this kind of inheritance in a more easily understandable way, it is transplantation. If we can't find a new one, we will transfer the old one to someone else.

"But Your Majesty, we don't have many opportunities to try. If we fail..."

"If we fail, you will atone with your lives. I can only tell you that there is no room for failure!"

"...Yes, Your Majesty." The guard was ashamed, feeling as if a thousand-pound boulder was pressing down on his shoulders. At this point, he had no choice but to ask the Emperor for his opinion on some of his ideas: "Your Majesty, the Phoenix Blood Scripture is the most effective technique to stimulate the potential of the Golden Crow Phoenix Body. Only a few people can master this technique to perfection. In the royal family, there are currently only the Empress and Princess Jinyu."

"This humble servant wishes to request Your Majesty to transmit the 'Phoenix Blood Scripture' and attempt to cultivate it among those deemed capable; perhaps this would increase the success rate."

The Phoenix Blood Scripture is a royal cultivation technique that outsiders cannot obtain. However, it is not easy to cultivate. Some daughters in the royal bloodline cultivate it, and although they have made progress, few can be said to have reached perfection.

The guards' words had two meanings. One was that they were given the Phoenix Blood Scripture to spread, and those who could master this technique were more likely to have received a physical inheritance.

Another meaning is to remind the emperor that in the royal family, besides Empress Pei, there is also Princess Jinyu who is a ready-made "Phoenix Blood Scripture" at the perfect state, and she is still a virgin. Although there was a lot of noise about her having an affair with the Prince of Xiling, it has been verified that she is still a virgin.

It is extremely difficult to cultivate any kind of extreme yang technique to perfection. Even if the Phoenix Blood Scripture were made public, it is estimated that it would be difficult for even one woman to achieve perfection in a short period of time.

Mentioning Jin Yu at this time is itself a hint.

The guard didn't want to do it either, but with the executioner's blade already at his neck, he had no choice.

"Tell me about this when you are confident." The emperor waved his hand, and a golden box flew to the guards. The box was opened, and inside was a rubbing of the Phoenix Blood Scripture's cultivation technique!

Watching the emperor's back as he gazed out the window, the guard guessed that he had agreed. If no one suitable to cultivate the Phoenix Blood Scripture was found after a period of time, Princess Jinyu would become the test subject, and the Golden Crow Phoenix Body would be usurped from the Empress and transferred to Princess Jinyu.

Although Princess Jinyu's identity was special—she was the emperor's daughter, and marrying another woman was a shocking thing—everything was negotiable in the face of the bigger picture, and changing Princess Jinyu's identity was a piece of cake.

"Do you think... it's really worth it?" The emperor's tone was somewhat bewildered, but this bewilderment was fleeting.

Once you've decided on a path, just keep walking it.

"As long as His Majesty thinks it's worth it, then it is worth it. Moreover, what His Majesty is planning is a grand undertaking, to free the Tianji Empire from the suppression of sects and to transform the Tianji Empire into a force with sects as its core and the nation as its body. Small sacrifices are unavoidable."

The Heavenly Empire had better conditions than those cultivation sects, producing a wealth of talent, yet it had to train its people on their territories. Although its size surpassed those sects, in a real contest, the Heavenly Empire was ultimately no match for the Transcendent Sects.

The reason why the Tianji Empire has been able to avoid becoming a vassal state is because of the alliances and tributes, the supply of talents, and the checks and balances between sects. This is how the secular dynasty of Tianji Empire has been able to stand firm.

However, the emperor was proud and could not tolerate being someone else's vassal despite his status as the Son of Heaven. Moreover, there were also deep-seated problems within the empire.

The royal family is sending talents to some major sects to gain support, but local kings are also sending talents to make connections with sects. In the long run, will these sects support the Heavenly Kingdom royal family or the local kings?

One should never rely on others for everything. The emperor receives his mandate from heaven, yet now he has to depend on the whims of the otherworldly sects. Does this mean he has acknowledged them as his father?

This situation must be broken. After the founding emperor of the Tianji Empire completed the unification of its territory, the only remaining direction was the unification of the sects.

Make the Heavenly Pole Empire a sect of imperial caliber!

A little sacrifice, a little cunning...

It's unavoidable.

---------

Chu Mingkong looked at the black phoenix on the back of Jin Yu's neck.

The image of Empress Pei's agony that night flashed through her mind. Empress Pei was such a patient woman; she could usually ignore ordinary pain, but that extremely yin curse tormented her to the point of wishing for death.

Jin Yu is so delicate, Chu Mingkong can hardly imagine what she must have been going through when she was in such pain.

This must not be allowed to happen...

Is the emperor leaving this mark because he's afraid the emperor will take Jinyu away with him?

Chu Mingkong wanted to remove the mark from Jinyu directly, but the current situation is different from before.

Previously, the curse marks on Empress Pei's body were only intended to torment her. Chu Mingkong did not touch the main part of the curse marks, that is, the main body of the phoenix, so it was not discovered.

But now this mark is clearly meant to keep track of Jin Yu's location. If Chu Mingkong makes even the slightest movement, that bastard in the palace might notice.

Chu Mingkong quickly urged Jin Yu to wrap her hair around the witch doll and bind it to the puppet:

"Jinyu, try to see if you can control this puppet's movements?"

Jin Yu asked in confusion, "Is it using spiritual power to control objects remotely?"

Chu Mingkong shook his head and explained, "No, it's controlling the puppet in one's own mind through one's soul and consciousness."

After trying it a few times, Jin Yu shook her head: "No, can this be done?"

Chu Mingkong suddenly realized.

Oh right... Yongzhen and Madam Zhen can control the puppet's movements because they have the soul-shifting technique, but Jinyu doesn't.

------

P.S.: Happy Children's Day everyone! XD

Chapter 108 Helping Me Cultivate!

Chu Mingkong had previously intended to replicate Yongzhen's plan on Jinyu's side, but perhaps he was too excited about the discovery of this new plan, and for a moment he forgot that Yongzhen's success was due to the Soul Transfer Technique.

On Jin Yu's side, the most useful thing might be to let the puppet lie on the bed and pretend to be someone else, just like when they withdrew from the Cui residence.

But now Jinyu has secretly left a mark on the emperor. Even if she left a doll in the princess's residence, it won't work because the emperor can directly see where the mark is.

Chu Mingkong stroked Jin Yu's nape, his fingers caressing the black phoenix mark near her neck. He desperately wanted to remove it from her, lest the emperor have a fit of rage and want to torment Jin Yu someday...

The threat of trouble was right in front of him, but he couldn't get rid of it immediately, which made Chu Mingkong feel agitated.

"Chu Lang, what's wrong? Did something bother you suddenly remember?"

Jin Yu noticed that Chu Mingkong had been silent for a while. Putting aside her curiosity about the doll, she turned around and looked at him. Her charming face was filled with worry. She leaned close to Chu Mingkong and cupped his cheeks. Through his clothes, her soft and full breasts gently rubbed against his chest, trying to make him happy.

The last time Jin Yu saw him so melancholy was the day their relationship became closer.

At that time, he was filled with sorrow over his injuries, wondering if they would erode his future, leaving only a single, riddled-with-holes bridge that could collapse at any moment. Even his master was busy tending to his injuries and fell into that extremely yin trap.

"I'm worried about you, and I'm thinking of a safer way to steal you away."

Chu Mingkong forced a smile, not wanting Jin Yu to be affected by his gloomy mood. He had just examined the black phoenix mark against the jade pendant, but the smooth surface of the jade didn't reflect it. He guessed it was the same as the Empress's case—something ordinary people couldn't detect. He hesitated, wondering whether to tell Jin Yu about it, as it might frighten her.

If she doesn't tell him, the emperor might escalate the curse, and Jinyu won't know what's going on. She might even be keeping it from him.

"Alright, Jinyu, I have something to tell you. Don't be afraid, I will find a way to handle it for you."

"Yes, what is it?" Jin Yu nodded heavily when she saw how serious he was.

"Your father left a mark on the back of your neck, similar to the mark on the Empress back then. However, this mark is not currently used to torture you, but only to keep track of your whereabouts."

If you feel unwell afterward, please tell me immediately, okay?

Jin Yu's breath hitched...

It's hardest for outsiders to understand the suffering of others. No matter how many times you say "I understand," it's mostly just words of comfort. But if that pain happens to someone you're closest to, the feeling is much deeper.

Jin Yu recalled her mother's suffering at that time, so unbearable that she couldn't even utter the word "uncomfortable." She felt a little scared, but when she thought that Chu Mingkong's worry just now was because he was concerned about her, Jin Yu felt relieved and much better.

"So, Chu Lang, you only looked at me like that because of me?" She looked at Chu Mingkong with a smile.

Chu Mingkong touched Jin Yu's dimples, which had appeared from her smile, and said helplessly:

"How can you still laugh about this? This matter hasn't even been resolved yet, and you're already this happy?"

Jin Yu's expression was one of smug satisfaction after she had cheated, and she said matter-of-factly:

"If I cry now, it won't make the pain less later. I should laugh as much as I can when I can. Besides, Chu Lang has always filled my heart before. Now it's Chu Lang's turn to fill my heart. How can I not be happy?"

Even at a time like this, he still manages to crack a few witty remarks, sigh...

Jin Yu suddenly frowned, and said in a serious but feigned reproach, "If I suffer the same pain as my mother later, I'll have to blame Chu Lang more for it!"

Chu Mingkong was puzzled. He held her hand and played with it. Although it was indeed his fault for not being able to solve the problem for her in advance, Chu Mingkong also felt guilty. However, he felt that Jin Yu probably had some other reasons. The way she was looking at him now was clearly a deliberate attempt to make him ask about the follow-up.

It's like you've already thought of a witty remark and are deliberately waiting for the other person to ask it.

He asked cooperatively, "How can it be more my fault? A little bit of blame is enough, isn't it?"

"Because I told you back then that I wanted you to elope with me back to Xiling, but you wouldn't listen. Now I've been waiting in the capital for so long, and my father has left his mark on me."