495: showdown

Inside the Imperial Study, Dragons Saliva Incense curled, smoke swirling with a heavy sandalwood aura.

Li Xuan was bent over his desk reviewing memorials, the corners of his bright yellow imperial robe trailing on the floor, accentuating the Emperor's cold loneliness and majesty that permeated his surroundings. The hall was silent, save for the "shasha" sound of the vermilion brush on the memorials and his occasional sighs.

At this moment, an attendant stepped in softly and whispered with a bow beside Li Xuan:

"Your Majesty, State Preceptor Mysterious Clarity Master seeks an audience."

Li Xuan's movement of reviewing the memorials paused, his brows quirked slightly, and a flash of surprise crossed his eyes.

Mysterious Clarity Master lived in seclusion in the back mountains for years, devoted to his Dao Cultivation, and rarely interfered in court affairs. It was only for the investiture of the Empress that he had come out to help. His sudden arrival today left Li Xuan wondering what the matter was.

"Summon him."

Li Xuan put down the vermilion brush and rubbed his brow. His tone was flat yet carried the majesty of an Emperor.

Mysterious Clarity Master slowly entered the Imperial Study, his posture upright and his Daoist robes fluttering, possessing the air of an immortal sage.

He cupped his hands slightly toward Li Xuan and spoke calmly:

"This old Daoist greets Your Majesty."

"State Preceptor, there is no need for such formalities, please be seated."

Li Xuan raised his hand, signaling the attendant to provide a seat. His tone seemed friendly, yet a hint of scrutiny remained in his eyes:

"I wonder what brings the State Preceptor here so suddenly today?"

Mysterious Clarity Master did not sit but remained standing in the hall. He looked up at Li Xuan with a calm gaze, his voice steady but carrying an unquestionable weight, every word clear and resonant:

"I have come on behalf of City Lord Situ of the Northern Border to convey a message to Your Majesty."

"Oh?"

Li Xuan's fingertips tapped lightly on the imperial desk, producing a dull sound. His tone seemed casual as he said:

"City Lord Situ has only just left the capital, yet he already has a message for the State Preceptor to pass to me? How strange."

Though he called it strange, his spiritual power fluctuated slightly, and the scrutiny in his eyes turned into a deep solemnity. Clearly, Situ Jun's news had caused no small stir within him.

Mysterious Clarity Master did not shy away, meeting Li Xuan's gaze with a solemn tone:

"Before leaving, City Lord Situ entrusted me with a message: from now on, Empress Liu Airu must reside peacefully in Kunning Palace, undisturbed and unbullied by anyone."

As soon as these words were spoken, the air in the Imperial Study instantly froze, and even the curling Dragons Saliva Incense seemed to hang motionless in the air.

The faint smile on Li Xuan's face vanished completely, replaced by a dark expression. He tapped the imperial desk heavily, producing a dull "du-du" sound. With the pressure of an Emperor, he spoke every word through gritted teeth:

"State Preceptor, do you know what you are saying? The Empress is my Empress, the Mother of Tianqi! That Situ Jun has already snatched two of my Empresses! Now, having just left the capital, he wants to interfere in my harem?!"

His voice suddenly rose with overwhelming fury, echoing through the empty Imperial Study and causing the candlelight in the hall to flicker slightly.

Just a few months ago, he had taken away his first wife Jiang Yan. Then, while attending the Investiture Ceremony for the New Empress, he had snatched Xia Wei. Now, he wanted to lay hands on his New Empress and even had the State Preceptor warn him. This was simply too much!

"Calm your anger, Your Majesty."

Mysterious Clarity Master remained calm, his expression unchanged, but his tone gained a bit more gravity:

"City Lord Situ is not interfering in the harem. He merely considers the Empress as the paragon of the nation and found a kinship with her, unable to bear seeing her suffer the slightest grievance in the palace. Furthermore, there is one thing I must state plainly—from now on, Your Majesty must not approach Kunning Palace again, and must not take any improper actions toward the Empress."

"Presumptuous!"

Li Xuan slammed the desk and stood up abruptly, his bright yellow imperial robe whipping up a gust of wind. The memorials on the imperial desk were shaken and scattered all over the floor.

His eyes widened in rage, his spiritual power surged, and the temperature in the hall plummeted, becoming bitingly cold:

"My Empress is mine to be close to as I please and treat as I wish. Since when do I need others to tell me what to do? Situ Jun has already snatched two of my Empresses. Does he intend to continue meddling in my harem and lay hands on my New Empress as well?!"

He laughed out of extreme anger, his eyes full of malice and hatred.

Liu Airu was naturally beautiful and was currently the greatest beauty in the harem. Yesterday, he had noticed the Empress's strange expression and her cold distance toward him. Now, Mysterious Clarity Master's words confirmed his suspicions—Liu Airu and Situ Jun definitely had an improper relationship!

Mysterious Clarity Master remained motionless, as if he didn't feel the Emperor's overwhelming fury, allowing the cold wind to seep through the window cracks and flutter the corners of his Daoist robe.

He slowly raised his eyes and met Li Xuan's gaze calmly. His tone was flat, but every word cut to the heart:

"Calm your anger, Your Majesty. Do not act on impulse."

He paused, then continued in a steady tone that carried unquestionable power:

"As things stand, I will not hide it from Your Majesty. Empress Liu is already Situ Jun's beloved. If Your Majesty insists on being close to her or making things difficult for her, you will be making an enemy of Situ Jun. Although the Northern Border Iron Cavalry is thousands of miles away, every one of them is brave and skilled in battle. City Lord Situ himself has high Cultivation and holds heavy troops. If he is angered and leads his army south, Your Majesty should be clear about the consequences."

"Are you threatening me?"

The pressure around Li Xuan was terrifyingly low, a mix of coldness and fury that caused the temperature in the hall to drop so much it nearly froze.

He stared intently at Mysterious Clarity Master, his eyes filled with venomous resentment:

"Does Situ Jun think that because of his high Cultivation and heavy troops, he can threaten me? This Tianqi Dynasty is my Dynasty! This harem is my harem!"

"The Dynasty is Your Majesty's Dynasty, but Situ Jun has the ability to make this world no longer peaceful and plunge Tianqi into turmoil."

Mysterious Clarity Master's voice was not loud, but it reached Li Xuan's ears clearly, striking at his weakness.

After a pause, he looked at Li Xuan's ashen face and continued slowly:

"Your Majesty, the national fortune of Tianqi is currently unstable. To the north, the Zhou Dynasty is stirring, and to the south, the Daqi Dynasty is watching like a tiger. The treasury is empty, and provisions are insufficient. If trouble arises in the Northern Border now and the iron cavalry marches south, combined with this midwinter and the difficulty of transporting supplies, the army's morale will easily crumble. Your Majesty, are you certain you can handle enemies on two sides? Are you certain you can hold onto the Tianqi empire?"

Li Xuan's face instantly turned ashen, his chest heaved violently, and his lips trembled, yet he couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal.

He knew Mysterious Clarity Master was telling the truth.

Situ Jun held heavy troops in the Northern Border, had high Cultivation, and countless Cultivators under him. His iron cavalry was brave and skilled in battle. If he truly became angry, Tianqi would have no way to resist.

He could not love Liu Airu, he could treat her as a pawn to stabilize the court, and he could even ignore her past with Situ Jun, but he absolutely did not dare, nor could he, gamble the entire Tianqi empire and his own throne for a single woman.

For a long time, only Li Xuan's heavy breathing remained in the Imperial Study.

He slowly sat down, his body trembling slightly and his chest heaving. His tone was icy, carrying a hint of fatigue and resentment he couldn't hide:

"I... understand. Go back and tell Situ Jun that I will not go to Kunning Palace again."

Every word was squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying endless humiliation and resentment.