101: Chapter 101 A concubine in exchange for an empire!

Great Xia Dynasty, Imperial Palace, Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Shen Qi knelt before the dragon throne, holding the abdication edict in both hands, his fingers shaking so badly that he could not even read the characters clearly.

Sect Leader Chen Chaoyang stood in the center of the hall, his hands behind his back, not even lifting his eyelids.

"Read it."

Shen Qi swallowed, his lips parting and closing three or four times before a sound finally emerged.

"I am lacking in virtue and ability, having inherited the ancestral foundation for six hundred years... Now, feeling that the mandate of heaven has shifted, the state should be entrusted to the virtuous... Abdicating to the Marquis of Beiliang, Shen Yuanshan..."

His voice grew lower as he read, until the last few words were almost inaudible.

Sect Leader Chen Chaoyang snorted.

"Louder. The hall is full of civil and military officials kneeling below."

Shen Qi finished reading the edict, his knees already numb from kneeling.

Sect Leader Chen Chaoyang walked forward, snatched the abdication edict from his hands, rolled it up, and tucked it into his sleeve.

"Alright, get up."

Shen Qi braced himself against the floor tiles to stand up, the front of his dragon robe soaked through.

"Immortal Master, I... my life..."

"No one wants your life." Sect Leader Chen Chaoyang waved his hand.

"The position of Head of the Imperial Clan Court is reserved for you; you will handle the affairs of the Great Xia Dynasty imperial clan from now on."

He reached into his robe, took out a jade bottle, and tossed it over.

Shen Qi fumbled to catch it, nearly dropping it on the floor.

"Inside are three Breakthrough Medicinal Pills, enough for you to use for the Wufa Realm."

Sect Leader Chen Chaoyang turned and walked out of the hall.

"You handled the errand for the Saint, this is your reward; do not say I treated you poorly."

Shen Qi held the jade bottle, his mouth opening and closing. The Wufa Realm. He had been stuck at the Late Stage of the Divine Light Realm for fifteen years, dreaming of a Breakthrough. These three Breakthrough Medicinal Pills were priceless. Shen Qi gripped the jade bottle and bowed to the ground. "Thank... Thank you, Immortal Master!"

Sect Leader Chen Chaoyang's figure had already disappeared into the sunlight outside the hall.

Three days later.

The news of the Great Xia Dynasty changing emperors spread like the wind, from the imperial capital to the borders, and then to the entire Southern Territory of the Eastern Region.

Shen Yuanshan, wearing a newly made dragon robe, stood on the steps of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, looking down at the sea of civil and military officials kneeling on the ground.

"Long live the Emperor! Long live! Long live!"

The sound echoed between the palace walls. Shen Yuanshan gripped the armrests of the dragon throne, his nails digging into the wood. Thirty-two years. Thirty-two years in the bitter cold Northern Territory, thirty-two years as a third-rank marquis.

He turned his head to look at Madam Liu, who was standing behind the curtain of the side hall.

Madam Liu was wearing a phoenix robe and a nine-tailed phoenix crown, her fingers clutching the tassels of the curtain, her eyes red.

Shen Yuanshan swallowed hard, turned back, and his voice suppressed the wind. "Rise."

After court, Shen Yuanshan did not return to his sleeping quarters but went straight to the newly opened Princess Hall on the east side of the harem.

Four newly assigned maids stood at the entrance, and when they saw him, they all curtsied. "Your Majesty."

Shen Yuanshan waved his hand and pushed the door open.

Madam Liu had already arrived and was sitting next to Shen Jingzhe, holding her daughter's hand.

Shen Jingzhe had changed into brocade palace attire, her hair styled in a bun and pinned with a white magnolia hairpin.

Shen Yuanshan sat opposite them, looking at the mother and daughter. "Jingzhe."

Shen Jingzhe looked up. "Father is very imposing today."

Shen Yuanshan was stunned for a moment, then grinned. "You girl."

He picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip; his fingers were still shaking when he put it down. "Let me tell you the truth."

Shen Yuanshan placed the teacup on the table and rubbed his hands together.

"A month ago, I was drinking porridge with your mother in the Marquis Mansion, and the First Madam passed by without even lifting her eyelids."

He reached out and pointed to the magnificent palace complex outside the window. "Look at it now."

Madam Liu was wiping her eyes nearby, the bead strings on her phoenix crown jingling. "The First Madam came to pay respects this morning and knelt outside the hall for half an hour; I have not told her to get up yet."

Shen Yuanshan slapped his thigh and laughed heartily.

"Your mother was a maid and a concubine her whole life, and now she is the Empress! The Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty!"

As he laughed, his eyes turned red. "All of this is because of you."

Shen Jingzhe looked at her father, then at Madam Liu who was wiping away tears. "Mother, stop crying, the phoenix crown is crooked."

Madam Liu laughed through her tears and reached up to adjust her phoenix crown. "Mother is just happy."

Shen Jingzhe helped her straighten the bead strings, her mouth curling slightly.

In this month, she had seen the Sect Leader of the Qingyun Sword Sect bow to her, seen the Emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty kneeling to read an abdication edict, and seen the entire court not daring to lift their heads when she passed.

Everyone was currying favor with her. Because she was the woman of the Saint of the Daoxuan Immortal Sect. This identity was more useful than any Cultivation Technique or Medicinal Pill. But she had not yet met that person.

"Bang, bang, bang."

The hall door was knocked three times.

A maid reported from outside. "Your Highness, Master Chen of the Qingyun Sword Sect requests an audience."

Shen Yuanshan instinctively wanted to stand up, but forced himself to sit back down. He was the Emperor now; he did not need to kneel to talk to Master Chen. However, he still had to maintain proper etiquette.

"Please come in." Shen Jingzhe spoke first.

The door opened, and Master Chen walked in, followed by a girl of fifteen or sixteen.

The girl was wearing the standard Daoist robe of the Qingyun Sword Sect, with delicate features, a steady aura, and the cultivation of the Early Stage of the Divine Light Realm.

Master Chen arrived before Shen Jingzhe, cupped his hands, and bowed. "This old man greets Miss Shen."

Shen Jingzhe was already used to it. "Master Chen, no need for formalities, sit."

Master Chen sat down in the lower seat and beckoned to the girl behind him.

The girl stepped forward, knelt on the floor, and pressed her forehead against the tiles. "This is my granddaughter, Chen Yao."

Master Chen stroked his beard, his tone filled with earnestness. "She has been cultivating in the Sect since childhood and was taught by me personally; she is at the Early Stage of the Divine Light Realm."

Shen Jingzhe glanced at the girl. "Master Chen, what is the meaning of bringing your granddaughter here?"

Master Chen stood up from his chair, lifted the hem of his robe, and knelt halfway on the floor.

"This old man is shamelessly asking the young lady for a favor."

Shen Yuanshan's eyes widened. A powerhouse of the Celestial Phenomenon Realm, kneeling halfway to his daughter?

"The young lady is about to go to the Saint's side, and she will need someone she trusts to serve her."

Master Chen looked up, his gaze sincere.

"This old man wants Yao'er to be your personal maid, serving tea, pouring water, running errands, or delivering messages; any task will do."

Chen Yao, who was kneeling on the ground, did not move, her back held straight.

Shen Jingzhe's gaze shifted between Master Chen and Chen Yao.

The granddaughter of the Qingyun Sword Sect Leader, a True Disciple, to be her maid? A month ago, she could not have even dreamed of this.

"Master Chen, Miss Chen is your own granddaughter and a True Disciple; it would be a grievance for her to be my maid."

"Not a grievance!" Master Chen slapped his thigh.

"Being able to follow the young lady is a blessing Yao'er cultivated for several lifetimes!"

He turned his head and glared at Chen Yao. "Why aren't you thanking her yet!"

Chen Yao kowtowed. "Chen Yao greets the master."

Shen Jingzhe looked at the girl kneeling before her and was silent for two breaths.

"Get up. Do not call me master; just call me by my name."

Chen Yao climbed up from the floor and retreated to stand behind Shen Jingzhe.

Master Chen let out a long sigh of relief, his face full of wrinkles as he smiled broadly.

"Your great kindness, this old man will keep it in mind!"

He sat back down in the chair, his expression turning serious.

"By the way, there is one more major matter I must tell you."

Shen Jingzhe lifted her chin. "Master Chen, please speak."

"The Saint has sent the Lingxiao Heavenly Palace to pick you up."

When Master Chen spoke these words, his voice was raised a notch.

Shen Yuanshan did not understand. "Lingxiao Heavenly Palace? What is that?"

Master Chen turned to look at him, his eyes wide. "That is the Quasi-Sacred Artifact of the Daoxuan Immortal Sect! It is one of the top treasures of the entire Eastern Region!"

He held up a finger and shook it in the air.

"Usually, it is only used when the Gu Family Clan Chief travels. The Saint is using it to pick up one person..."

Master Chen's gaze fell back on Shen Jingzhe, his tone full of emotion.

"This old man has lived for over two hundred years and has never heard of such pomp."

He took a breath and rubbed his palms together.

"Furthermore, the leader of the escort is the Saint's first confidant, Gu Yi."

Shen Yuanshan rested his hands on the armrests, unable to speak for a long time.

Master Chen stood up and paced the hall, his smile impossible to suppress.

"Marquis Shen... no, it should be Your Majesty."

He turned around to look at Shen Yuanshan and Shen Jingzhe.

"Let me tell you something from the bottom of my heart."

"If the Saint had simply sent a few Disciples to pick you up, it would mean that the young lady is just a concubine in the Saint's heart, dispensable."

Master Chen held up a finger.

"But the Saint sent the Lingxiao Heavenly Palace and his first confidant. What does this mean?"

He slapped the table, causing the teacup to jump.

"It means your weight in the Saint's heart is much heavier than we thought!"

Master Chen walked out happily, stopped at the door, and looked back at Shen Jingzhe.

"Young lady, the Lingxiao Heavenly Palace will arrive in three days."

Three days later, she would leave this place.