“Your Majesty, this subject apologizes for not welcoming you sooner.”
About two or three miles away, Shangguan Hongzhi ran headlong into Qin Junyin and Lu Qi, who were chatting and laughing together.
He stood before the two, completely ignoring the old man, and bowed deeply to the man in the golden brocade robe, his back bending almost perpendicular to his legs before stopping.
“Oh? How did you know I would come?”
Faced with this sudden greeting, Qin Junyin, who had been mid-conversation, paused for a moment, then turned his gaze to the man in front of him, narrowing his eyes, his tone tinged with a hint of displeasure.
“Could it be… did Lu Qi tip you off in advance?”
As he spoke, he wrapped an arm around the old man beside him, pressing him directly in front of Shangguan Hongzhi.
“How come I didn’t know you two had gotten so close? When did it become fashionable to do these things behind my back?”
“Your Majesty, my relationship with Shangguan Hongzhi is not as you think… I…”
“Shut up. Did I let you speak?”
“Understood.”
Sensing that the atmosphere was becoming somewhat off, Shangguan Hongzhi, a seasoned figure in the world of officials, quickly pieced together the situation after a moment’s thought, and secretly smiled to himself.
Though he didn’t dare guess the Emperor’s intentions outright, in this moment, he knew he only needed to speak the truth and throw in some praise for Qin Junyin.
From what he knew of this Emperor, His Majesty always favored blunt honesty, as well as those who knew how to flatter without interfering in governance.
Therefore, all he needed to do was act as the “sycophant minister” would.
“In fact, the reason is… I sensed Your Majesty’s aura. At midnight, though the purple energy did not come from the east, I saw a faint purple glow on the horizon, as if it were Dragon’s Breath. In all of Lixun, indeed in this whole continent, besides Your Majesty, I’m afraid… there is no second person who could produce such a sight.”
“Dragon’s Breath? What a peculiar name.”
Qin Junyin repeated those words a few times before continuing, “What you’re really describing is the scene that occurs when the Star Domain Forbidden Zone is activated, isn’t it?”
“Star Domain Forbidden Zone? Do you mean… that grand formation which can conceal the Heavenly Dao’s aura, briefly imprint the Dao’s laws within a certain range, and slow their dispersal?”
“That’s right, you do know your stuff.”
“No wonder it felt so familiar…”
Shangguan Hongzhi nodded slightly.
In his memory, this ‘Star Domain Forbidden Zone’ was Lixun’s defensive formation, one that could be said to violate the Heavenly Dao itself.
Once the grand array was activated, all auras within Lixun would be concealed; minor fluctuations would vanish into the void, and the inescapable Heavenly Dao aura would be trapped within Lixun, only returning to the outside world once the formation fully deactivated.
“Your Majesty, as I recall, each activation of the Star Domain Forbidden Zone consumes nearly half a year’s worth of Lixun’s spirit stones. For you to activate it—has some incident occurred?”
“Incident? Not exactly. No one ever said this sort of thing can only be used when something happens.”
“Then you are…?”
“Naturally, I activated it for my niece—your daughter, the little monster who will someday secure her place on the entire continent—Shangguan Qiuyue.”
Qin Junyin gave an answer that, though unexpected, still made perfect sense to Shangguan Hongzhi.
On a personal level, the girl was the daughter of the Emperor’s younger sister.
As the saying goes, ‘Aunt and uncle are close, generation after generation.’
Given his affection for Lin Yayue, and the tendency for love to extend to those she loves, anything he did was understandable.
On official business, this was a form of investment in Shangguan Qiuyue.
The commotion she had caused was truly earth-shaking; if she grew up smoothly, anyone could see that her future accomplishments would only be great.
But as fortune and misfortune always accompany each other, such circumstances would surely draw the eyes of other powers.
If they were to interfere during her awakening…
Though it was unlikely to result in fatalities, her awakening would certainly be affected, which would be a major loss for the entire Qin Clan royal family, and indeed for all of Lixun.
Of course, Shangguan Hongzhi would not foolishly believe this was something the other party was obliged to do.
After hearing those words, he bowed three times, solemnly saying “Thank you, Your Majesty,” his actions appearing extremely sincere.
Even—to the point of seeming slightly overdone, almost fake.
This time, Qin Junyin couldn’t help himself.
He raised his hand and helped the man before him up, looking dejectedly at Lu Qi beside him.
“Alright, alright, I admit defeat. I thought with Hongzhi’s current status, at least his words would have more backbone. Never thought, in the end, he’s still the same as before… sigh…”
As he spoke, he casually tossed out a pill brimming with domineering power, as if throwing away trash.
Lu Qi, after catching the pill, carefully inspected it for a while, then took out a sandalwood-scented box to store it in his storage pouch, before replying with a smile.
“Your Majesty… I’ve told you long ago, a dog can’t change its ways. That soft-boned nature of his will last a lifetime.”
“Stop, stop, that’s a bit much, isn’t it? What do you mean, can’t change its ways? He’s still my brother-in-law, isn’t he? What he does is called being able to yield and bend—do you even understand what that means?”
“As you say, Your Majesty.”
The two bantered back and forth, with none of the earlier tension remaining.
Their conversation now seemed to treat Shangguan Hongzhi as a source of amusement.
As the family head watched the two before him, listening to them openly bad-mouthing him with straight faces, he could only force a stiff smile in response, looking extremely awkward.
Their banter grew louder and louder, until their mouths were dry and their voices hoarse before they finally stopped.
“Alright, alright, the bet is settled, and you’ve got your pill. The rest is my family business, Lu Qi, you should head back now. Didn’t you say you needed to break through some realm? Don’t waste time…”
“As you command, Your Majesty. Then… this subject will take his leave.”
With that, the old man turned into a streak of light and disappeared from this place in an instant, eager to be gone.
Qin Junyin watched as the old man left, and only when he could no longer sense his presence did he speak slowly:
“Hongzhi… you won’t blame me, will you? Making a family head like you put on such a show with me.”
His tone had calmed considerably.
“Not at all. After all, after this, Lu Qi will naturally use the pill you gave him. And with the dragon pill I traded him before, he is sure to become your tool completely, is he not?”
The very Shangguan Hongzhi who had just been the butt of the joke now regained his composure, straightening his posture as he gazed at where the old man had disappeared, and chuckled softly.
“Being the Royal Physician of Lixun, yet with such an unconventional attitude… Though raised under the Qin Clan’s patronage, he always puts his own interests first. If we don’t get him under control soon, I think… he may cause you a lot of trouble in the future, Your Majesty.”
“Indeed. Living in Qin’s camp, yet with his heart outside. Clearly a Royal Physician of Lixun, yet he loves to roam the continent, making friends everywhere. If not for his medical skills, his heart would deserve punishment…”
Qin Junyin stood with his hands behind his back.
Seeing the man beside him wanting to speak again, he let out a long sigh and spoke:
“Alright, enough about him. The seed has already been planted in his body; what’s done is done, so we needn’t worry about him. Next… let’s go see how Qiuyue is doing. I’m quite curious—what kind of power has she awakened?”
“This way, Your Majesty.”
“In private, just call me Uncle, brother-in-law.”
“Then this way, brother.”