35: Pingyang's dual cultivation technique? The weak female emperor sister!

"How... how did you know that your mother has a Dual Cultivation method?"

Princess Pingyang's face turned red, and she said coyly, "It was... Mother told me herself."

After saying this, even the tips of her ears turned completely red.

For her, these matters were ultimately too difficult for him to handle.

Li Shengyuan's heart was in turmoil. Could it be that the Empress Dowager was the one who taught her this move?

Before Li Shengyuan could think further, Princess Pingyang struggled to lift her eyes and shyly looked directly into Li Shengyuan's.

But this really wasn't the right place!

Li Shengyuan suppressed the restlessness in his heart, flicked Princess Pingyang's perky nose, and said gently:

"I'm certainly willing. It wasn't easy raising you to this age, and I'm eager to harvest my 'big cabbage' too. But the time and place are wrong right now. I might be summoned to the palace by Senior Sister shortly, so there definitely won't be enough time."

"Most importantly, I don't want our first time to be handled so haphazardly in a place like this."

Feeling Li Shengyuan's affectionate gaze and gentle voice, Princess Pingyang felt incredibly sweet and happy.

Lifting her flushed, burning face, she reached out to pinch Li Shengyuan's cheek and scolded playfully with a happy smile:

"If I'm a big cabbage, then you're a pig. The cabbage is being rooted out by you, Brother Li, you pig!"

"That's what you said, so I'll root you out right now!"

Hearing Princess Pingyang's pleas for mercy, Li Shengyuan also looked up at her with a face full of smiles.

He snorted triumphantly, "If you dare to be disrespectful to this lord again, it won't be this simple next time."

Princess Pingyang breathed rapidly to calm her state of mind and did not reply to Li Shengyuan.

At this moment, Li Shengyuan finally received the message that the Empress Senior Sister had summoned him.

Having played around enough, Li Shengyuan looked at Princess Pingyang in his arms and said seriously:

"Senior Sister has summoned me. It should be about Minister Sun's matter. I have to go to the palace now; are you coming with me?"

"I'm not going. Go find Imperial Sister yourself."

Princess Pingyang shook her head repeatedly with a red face. Normally, she would have followed Li Shengyuan step by step.

Li Shengyuan didn't force her, thinking that Princess Pingyang was still angry with the Empress Senior Sister.

After smoothing out both of their official robes, Li Shengyuan set Princess Pingyang down and let her sit in his chair.

"Then I'll be going. I'll come find you once things are settled."

"Mhm, go on, go on."

Princess Pingyang couldn't wait for Li Shengyuan to leave sooner now.

Although he felt something was odd, Li Shengyuan didn't ask more. His mind was now full of Minister Sun's collusion with the demonic cult.

He arrived at the Imperial Study where the Empress Senior Sister handled state affairs without any obstacles.

Li Shengyuan successively encountered his grandfather, the Chief Assistant, as well as the Left and Right Censors-in-Chief of the Censorate and the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.

A representative from the Imperial Observatory and a Division Lord from the Demon Suppression Division were also there.

After each of them greeted Li Shengyuan, they all left in a hurry with solemn expressions.

Every one of these people leaving the Empress Senior Sister's Imperial Study was a top-tier official of Great Gan!

The matter of the Minister of Justice colluding with the demonic cult was simply too massive.

It seemed the Empress Senior Sister would have quite a headache.

Li Shengyuan's heart felt a bit heavy as well.

When Li Shengyuan entered the Imperial Study, he saw the Empress Senior Sister lying back on the Small Dragon Chair alone, her eyes closed in weary contemplation.

Even the personal maid who was usually by her side was absent.

Seeing the Empress Senior Sister's exhausted face, a flash of heartache appeared in Li Shengyuan's eyes.

He walked forward and went directly behind the dragon chair. Having massaged her shoulders before, Li Shengyuan was much more accustomed to it this time.

He directly placed his hands on the Empress Senior Sister's shoulders and began to gently knead them, helping her relax.

However, the dragon robes she wore today were a bit thick and didn't expose her shoulders, making them hard to pinch.

Li Shengyuan felt a small sense of regret that he couldn't rub the Empress Senior Sister's smooth, fair, and fragrant shoulders.

"Junior Brother..."

The Empress Senior Sister softly called out his title with her eyes closed and then said no more.

Li Shengyuan then moved his hands to the back of the Empress Senior Sister's head and began to gently massage her Acupoints, though he could only reach some of them because her hair bun was in the way.

Hearing the Empress Senior Sister's call, Li Shengyuan said softly:

"If Senior Sister is tired, take a good rest first. Let me help you relax by kneading your shoulders."

"Junior Brother, thank you..."

"You are my Senior Sister; it's only right that I help you. There's no need to be polite."

"Mhm..."

After a soft nasal hum of agreement, the Empress Senior Sister relaxed her body and leaned one side of her face against Li Shengyuan's arm.

Seeing this, Li Shengyuan's heart overflowed with tenderness. Although the Empress Senior Sister was an emperor, she wasn't nearly as majestic and overbearing as Pingyang and the officials said.

Didn't she still seem like a frail little girl?!

Li Shengyuan couldn't help but want to care for her meticulously.

Just like last night, he began to circulate Pure Yang Qi through his fingers into the Empress Senior Sister's Acupoints, letting it travel throughout her body.

Li Shengyuan was focusing on kneading and transferring his Pure Yang Qi, so he didn't see the Empress Senior Sister's brow gradually furrow.

Even the matter of Minister Sun hadn't made her frown like this.

Only after the Pure Yang Qi had completed a Minor Cycle within her body did the Empress Senior Sister finally open her eyes.

An unprecedented solemnity and seriousness appeared in her eyes.

Just as Li Shengyuan's fingers were about to leave her shoulders and move to the back of her head, she suddenly reached up and grabbed his wrist.

"Senior Sister, what's wrong? Is the pressure not right?" Li Shengyuan asked in surprise.

The Empress Senior Sister's face remained somber as she turned her head to look at her Junior Brother, saying seriously:

"Junior Brother, your Pure Yang Qi... is not right!"