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

Silence fell over the room. Zuo Qiuchi nudged Chu Mingkong with his elbow.

"When did this happen? Was it funny? Tell me about it?"

"Go! Go! Go......"

Let me tell you, and then I'll go back and demonstrate it to you, Master.

Wan Hua didn't follow up on the topic. Chu Mingkong was about to leave and didn't care to know more about his relationship with the girl.

"Mingkong, do you have any detailed arrangements and plans for your trip to the Crescent Moon Kingdom?"

"There really isn't one. What we have are targets. Our priority is to protect Yongzhen, and then we'll see if we can use the legitimate identity of the Yueqi royal family to unify the Crescent Kingdom and secure a future for Xiling."

Xiling is currently stable, but compared to the entire Tianji Empire, it is still somewhat small.

Wan Hua nodded and said:

"A goal is actually a plan. Just know in your mind what you should do, and don't be reckless or impulsive anymore."

"Take Rong'er with you too. She's been reading through many records of the Crescent Moon Kingdom these past few days. That place is quite strange, oddly chaotic, and it seems that force can't bring stability."

Chapter 201 An Imperial Custom of Taking Mother into Battle? (27/38)

Gu Jungui's mood has been extremely complicated these days. He doesn't know why, but he always seems to run into his beloved girl who's always trying to steal other girls.

She knew in her heart that Chu Mingkong would have no shortage of female confidantes, but the scope seemed a little off.

In just a few days, Gu Jungui encountered Chu Mingkong and several young women, including Jin Yu and Shangguan Rong, being affectionate, and also chatted with his two sisters-in-law, Fei Huang and Ke Qing.

It seemed that Empress Pei was also connected to him, but Gu Jun Gui could only chat with Jin Yu and wasn't very familiar with Pei Mi. He hadn't dared to try and get close to her or go to her courtyard unnecessarily, so he didn't witness anything between Chu Ming Kong and Pei Mi...

Although I did see Chu Mingkong spending time helping with various matters and diligently cultivating to improve, it felt like he spent most of the day just looking for opportunities after finishing his important tasks.

Just last night, she took Keqing and Feihuang to the lakeside tower in Qingxin Mansion to play, climb up to watch the stars and admire the moon. It was also a rare night for the two "mistresses" of the City Lord's Pavilion to return to Qingxin Mansion to rest.

As a result, on the tower, Gu Jungui saw Chu Mingkong walk into the courtyard of his two mothers under the cover of night. Then, on the paper window of the bedroom, the graceful and mature figures of two women were reflected, their figures rising and falling rhythmically.

Judging from the appearance, it seems that the two women are both pinning Chu Mingkong down beneath them...

Gu Jun Gui didn't make a fuss with his companions. He quietly led Ke Qing and Fei Huang away quickly. Beneath the calm surface, however, a storm was brewing.

"Sister-in-law? Sister-in-law?" Ke Qing's gentle voice pulled Gu Jun Gui back from his reverie.

Gu Jungui shook his head and quickly replied, "Yes, I'm here. What's up?"

Ke Qing looked at Gu Jun Gui with concern:

"Sister-in-law, you seemed to drift off while we were chatting. You've been a bit absent-minded ever since we came back from our walk last night. Could it be that you've caught a cold?"

After regaining his composure, Gu Jungui replied:

"It's alright. I'm a cultivator now, so I don't catch a cold so easily. It's just that Mingkong is preparing to go on a long trip, and I'm worried about him."

Ke Qing breathed a sigh of relief and replaced Gu Jun Gui's cooled tea with warm tea:

"I see. I thought my sister-in-law was unwell."

Gu Jungui pondered for a moment, the "secret" she had accidentally discovered the previous night still lingering in her mind, her heart in turmoil. She spoke to Keqing evasively and hesitantly:

"Qing, how could Mingkong recognize Consort Wan as his mother?"

This question was also on the minds of many people, especially girls like Yongzhen and Jinyu who were related to the royal family. However, they had all learned the answer from Chu Mingkong.

However, Gu Jungui and the others didn't want to get involved in royal affairs, so they turned a blind eye, but they still had doubts in their hearts.

Keqing hesitated and said:

“I’ve heard Mingkong mention it. It seems that she was adopted by chance during the Fifth Prince’s affair, but he didn’t go into details. Besides, this Consort Wan is also the sister of the Princess Consort of Chu. It’s not strange that Mingkong adopted her as a godmother.”

“When did Mingkong tell you this? I’ve never heard of it before.”

Gu Jun Gui inexplicably felt a bit neglected by Chu Ming Kong, his precious darling. He was so close to him, having watched him grow up from a tiny little boy.

Although he hasn't been officially married yet, he's already a married man. Now he starts talking to his sisters-in-law, Keqing and Feihuang, whom he hasn't known for long, but he doesn't mention her at all.

This feeling is truly unpleasant...

Ke Qing was embarrassed by Gu Jun Gui's sudden question. Gu Jun Gui knew that Ke Qing's skin was as thin as a veil, and he could tell from the blush on her face and her embarrassed expression when she had said it.

"...Oh dear, sister-in-law, this is something I can't go into detail about. It was when I was doing 'that' with Mingkong that Feihuang asked me about it."

Gu Jungui recalled the time when he used his silk stockings and jade feet to help Mingkong relieve the effects of the Hehuan Dew. His memory traveled back to the cold pool in Xiaoxiang Qin Academy, where Feihuang and Keqing were "rubbing" little Mingkong between them.

"How did you two get together with Mingkong...?"

Discussing such matters with one's own husband in the bedroom can be considered intimate, but how can one discuss it in other settings?

However, the person asking the question was Gu Jungui. Keqing assumed that Gu Jungui was too worried about Mingkong because of the incident at the Cold Pond of Xiaoxiang Qin Academy. She forced herself to speak in a low voice despite her shyness. Her tender and affectionate expression had a charming and romantic air about her, as if she were a beautiful woman seducing someone. Fortunately, the person she was speaking to was Gu Jungui.

"Oh dear, sister-in-law, don't ask such detailed questions. Mingkong... he's incredibly vigorous and frightening. Don't be fooled by his cute little appearance last time. Feihuang and I were both driven to ecstasy by him... If he ever runs out of energy here, Feihuang and I would probably lose half our lives."

"You...you don't need to worry about him so much, sister-in-law. You should worry more about me and Feihuang..."

Gu Jun Gui has never had any romantic relationships with men because her husband died in a life-or-death situation on their wedding day.

But now, hearing Keqing say this, I feel ashamed.

But when she thought of what she had seen by chance on the tower last night, something seemed to change in her heart, though she herself did not realize it.

----------

In Shangguan Rong's room, the stunningly beautiful woman sat in front of a mirror, with two maids serving her and dressing her up in the customary makeup of the Crescent Moon Kingdom. In Chu Mingkong's words, it was like "changing her skin."

Chu Mingkong stood beside her, admiring Shangguan Rong in the mirror. He could vaguely sense a hint of joy in her usually stern face.

"Mingkong, who are you planning to take with you on this trip?"

“You, Master, Yongzhen’s puppet, and myself,” Chu Mingkong replied. “Daoist Yun can also be considered one, but she’s not one I brought along, just an accomplice. I guess she’ll go straight back to Kunlun. Why ask that?”

"According to the historical records there, if you want to get involved in the royal family's power struggle later on, you might have to bring your elders with you."

"Huh? Why?" Chu Mingkong asked, puzzled.

"This was a royal tradition during the heyday of the Moonlit Empire. Those in power needed the approval of their elders to prove their virtue and benevolence after taking the throne. It was said that if one was not close to one's elders, how could one be close to the people of the tribes? The ceremony involved was equivalent to the coronation ceremony of the Heavenly Pole Empire. Unfortunately, the historical records are incomplete. The fall of the Moonlit Empire was too turbulent, and many books were burned."

Shangguan Rong then said:

"However, this was just a custom from back then. Now that many forces have entered the Crescent Kingdom, many of these ideas have faded away, so there's no need to consider them so much."

What kind of custom is this? Taking Mom to war, huh...? Chu Mingkong pondered:

"To be on the safe side, it's possible to bring her along. If we bring Madam Zhen, and if Daoist Yun doesn't mind, we could ask her to take her to Kunlun for temporary care. If I later encounter a situation where I need to step into the limelight, bringing... my two mothers wouldn't be appropriate. Would it be alright to bring my sister-in-law? Aunt Gu should be fine, right?"

Chapter 202 Heading Towards the New Moon (28/38)

Many things that seem to require careful consideration often lead to action when you hesitate.

The carriage to the Crescent Moon Kingdom was ready. Compared to Feng Ying's secret travel, Chu Mingkong's trip was much more convenient—because of the Annihilation Domain.

He didn't even need to expend the primordial spiritual energy he absorbed from his master's wife, Shen Xuejun, as a baby; the most ordinary Nirvana Domain was enough to meet the requirement of concealed travel.

The reason why Chu Mingkong was in such a hurry to set off was naturally because of Yongzhen's side. Her team had already arrived at the territory of the Yueyun royal family and had even begun to welcome the bride!

Because she didn't want him to worry, Yongzhen didn't tell him immediately after the roadblock incident in the tribal conflict ended. She wanted him to rest peacefully in Xiling for a few days. So, it wasn't until the prince who was there to pick up the bride that Yongzhen told him the news.

How could Chu Mingkong not be in a hurry to set off?

However, there was some good news as well. Kazekage had also arrived at the edge of the Moonlit Royal Family's territory, but he was still gathering information from all sides while moving closer to Yongzhen.

With Kazekage looking after Yongzhen, it's reassuring to know he has someone to look after him.

On a land where wasteland, Gobi Desert, and grassland intersect, a warhorse-drawn chariot speeds across the sand. Caravans and hunting parties pass by, but no one notices the chariot's presence.

However, some observant people noticed something amiss:

"It's strange. This dust cloud was clearly left by a speeding carriage. There are fresh wheel tracks on the ground. Judging from the weight of the tracks, it must have been a carriage that only nobles could afford. How come we can't see anyone passing by?"

That was all the unusual thing they could detect. Aside from pondering whether they could fabricate a false report and sell it to intelligence dealers for some money, they couldn't do any further confirmation.

Inside the carriage.

Zuo Qiuchi lay comfortably on the expensive plush carpet. Shangguan Rong and Chu Mingkong sat close together, while opposite them were two noble ladies, Madam Zhen and Gu Jungui.

Lady Zhen sat there dignifiedly. Although she was sitting relaxed, the elegance and nobility she had cultivated in the palace over the years still inadvertently revealed in her posture and demeanor.

Gu Jun Gui and Madam Zhen sat side by side. Although Gu Jun Gui lacked the air of royalty, she was no less beautiful. Their ample breasts were equally impressive, and their waists and hips were as delicate and firm as a young girl's.

Madam Zhen possesses a subtle yet undeniable air of nobility and grandeur, while Gu Jungui is superior in his gentle and approachable nature. Both are exceptional beauties, each with their own unique charm and neither can rival the other.

Although there were many people in the carriage, the space inside was quite spacious because unnecessary decorations had been removed.

Actually, there should have been another female Taoist priest, Yun Nongyu, in the carriage, but she was so tired of being hugged by Zuo Qiuchi as a pillow that she was now riding a sword in the sky.

Chu Mingkong apologized to Gu Jungui and Madam Zhen:

"The situation was sudden. I originally wanted to find out more and see if it was necessary to take you into danger, but Yongzhen had been hiding the situation for so long, and suddenly she said that someone had already come to pick up the bride."

"I had no choice but to bring both of you along, but rest assured, Master Yun will protect you."

Gu Jungui watched Chu Mingkong's serious and stern face all the way until they successfully entered the Crescent Moon Kingdom, at which point he relaxed. Gu Jungui felt sorry for him, as he had only rested for a few days before starting his journey again.

She temporarily put aside what she had seen earlier and just wanted him to feel at ease.

"What are you saying? Why are you so concerned about Aunt Gu? Do you consider her an outsider?"

Madam Zhen echoed Gu Jungui's words, saying:

"Yes, it's not right for you, Mingkong, to worry about Yongzhen's safety all the time. If there's anything I can do to help, I'll do it without hesitation. You're being too polite."

Chu Mingkong laughed:

"I'm glad you don't blame me. I'll have Master Yun take good care of you two. If you feel lonely and want to chat, you can contact me with a note, or you can chat with the girls in Xiling."

The new version of the sticker app is out, but unfortunately, it still doesn't support the feature of freely adding friends. However, it has taken a step forward by implementing group chat functionality...

However, this group chat function also has significant limitations. It cannot freely add "new group members" because the essence of this function is to create a batch of paper templates with built-in group chat functionality. If you want to join other group chats, you have to switch to a different group chat paper template.

It can be said to be a commercial version launched specifically for Qingse's Erotic Pavilion.

Madam Zhen nodded: "I will use this. Recently, Qingning, the girl from the Wei family, has become very close to me. She said she would chat with me on the way to relieve my fatigue."