223: Jealous Empress Sister! The Bone God's Discussion

The next morning, Li Shengyuan stepped into the Imperial Palace, treading on the morning dew, and arrived outside the Imperial Study without any hindrance.

Everyone in the Imperial Palace now knew he was a great meritorious official of Daqian and a top master in the world; they all regarded him with utmost respect.

The most important thing was his intimate and ambiguous relationship with His Majesty; it was now rumored within the Imperial Palace that Lord Li Shengyuan of the Li family would soon be the Empress and master of the Inner Palace!

With this connection, no one even checked his identity token anymore…

The attending palace maid was about to announce him but was stopped by his hand—he had already sensed that only his Senior Sister, Female Emperor Mu Qingning, was inside the room.

As he entered through the door, he saw the Empress standing by the window. Her bright yellow dragon-patterned casual robe made her figure appear even more upright, but her back looked a bit stiff.

When she turned around, Li Shengyuan saw that her phoenix eyes, which usually carried an air of majesty, were slightly pouting, and her lips were pursed into a wronged arc, clearly indicating she was holding back anger.

“Senior Sister?”

Li Shengyuan stepped forward, and just as his fingertips were about to touch her sleeve, Female Emperor Mu Qingning turned sideways and dodged him.

“Hmph,” she turned her face away, her voice muffled, “Some people had a pretty good time at the teahouse last night, didn’t they?”

The smile on Li Shengyuan’s face froze. He then realized, and with a chuckle, he leaned in closer, his nose almost touching the top of her head:

“Is Senior Sister jealous?”

“Who’s jealous?!”

Female Emperor Mu Qingning suddenly turned her head, her cheeks flushed. “Now Lord Li has been ennobled, his status is extraordinary, and he’s having a great time, being kissed by beautiful women one after another. No wonder someone didn’t try to keep me when I left. So, there was such a wonderful show going on…”

Li Shengyuan had no intention of hiding these matters from his Senior Sister. Although she had returned to the Imperial Palace, she certainly had informants.

Female Emperor Mu Qingning grew angrier as she spoke, her delicate brows furrowing.

“If it’s like this in the capital, won’t you be even more unrestrained when you go to your fiefdom in the future?!”

No sooner had she finished speaking than Li Shengyuan gently pressed her shoulders.

He took the opportunity to pull her into his embrace, resting his chin on the crown of her head. He found his jealous Senior Sister particularly adorable and softened his voice:

“So, Senior Sister is angry because you didn’t get to kiss me, and Princess Pingyang and the others hogged me? That’s simple, I’ll let Senior Sister kiss me once and it’ll be fine!”

“You want me to kiss you? You wish!” Female Emperor Mu Qingning gave Li Shengyuan a charming glare.

“Then it’s the same if I kiss Senior Sister!”

After speaking, Li Shengyuan raised his hand to smooth the furrow between her brows, his fingertips tracing her slightly pouted lips, and finally lowered his head to kiss her.

Soft, cool, sweet…

After a long kiss, Li Shengyuan looked at his Senior Sister Female Emperor Mu Qingning’s slightly dazed phoenix eyes and said softly:

“Next time, I’ll let Senior Sister kiss me alone. I’ll never give Princess Pingyang and the others a chance!”

Female Emperor Mu Qingning was enveloped by his warm breath, her ears gradually softened, but she still spoke stubbornly:

“Who wants to kiss you…?”

But her rigid back had quietly relaxed, and the hand resting against Li Shengyuan’s chest no longer pushed him away; instead, it unconsciously drew circles.

Li Shengyuan chuckled, pressing a kiss to her forehead:

“Then punish me. Punish me by staying with Senior Sister forever!”

“Such a glib tongue…”

Only then did the Empress’s lips subtly curve into a smile, and she playfully chided him.

Though still maintaining a straight face, her tone had softened considerably: “We haven’t discussed the important matters yet.”

She withdrew from Li Shengyuan’s embrace, sat back on the imperial throne, and tapped her fingertips lightly on the scrolls on the desk.

“What have you found about the bone god?”

Li Shengyuan reined in his smile and said seriously:

“According to ancient records, the power of the bone god originated from the totem worship of ‘bones’ by ancient ancestors. It can both reshape muscles and bones and control the withered bones of the deceased. However, this item carries extreme malevolence, and if not controlled properly, it may backfire on its master.”

He paused, looking at Female Emperor Mu Qingning, “But what my second uncle said about the villagers believing in the bone god is much more sinister than that. It’s mostly a tactic used by the Demonic Cult to divide the people of Daqian!”

Female Emperor Mu Qingning’s fingertips stilled, her eyes darkening. “I’ve already had Zixuan use the Xuanyi Guard to investigate secretly, and the Demon Suppression Division is investigating openly. We should be able to find some clues!”

She looked up at Li Shengyuan, a hint of solemnity in her phoenix eyes, “But Daqian’s territory is vast, and there are many remote areas. There are likely many similar places…”

Li Shengyuan nodded in agreement; he also had this suspicion.

The two fellow disciples fell into silence. They both knew the seriousness of the matter, but due to the corruption and incompetence of low-level officials, this matter had never been reported…

Even if there were reports, they were only a few and would not be taken seriously, quickly being suppressed.

Outside the window, the sunlight grew stronger, falling upon them through the carved window lattice.

Li Shengyuan took a step forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with her as they looked at the ancient map on the scroll, his fingertips gently touching hers:

“No matter how connected it is, I will always be with Senior Sister to investigate it thoroughly.”

Female Emperor Mu Qingning turned her head to look at him, seeing the certainty in his eyes. The last trace of gloom in her heart dissipated.

She softly “Mm-hmm’d,” and a faint but genuine smile finally bloomed on her lips—brighter than the fireworks at yesterday’s lantern festival.

Even though she lived in a chaotic world with a formidable enemy like the Demonic Cult, she was not alone. She still had companions, she still had someone to rely on!