Glancing at the time, Yu Xiyan decided to go to the meeting, and also to confront Shen Zhao.
This time, more than any treasure, she wanted to bring Shen Zhao back to Chang'an, and officially become husband and wife.
The real deal.
These days, while handling the court affairs, she realized that even with the governance plan Shen Zhao had left behind in her previous life, there were still countless obstacles making it hard for her to breathe.
In the court, although Yu Xiyan had replaced a group of court officials, and used the people Shen Zhao had valued in his previous life, it was still far from enough.
Because these people, although they were quite capable of governing the country, couldn't be placed in the right positions to display their talents.
Moreover, the path of the imperial examination to promote the entry of commoners into officialdom was much more difficult than she thought, especially with the Pang family as the head of the court elders, who had always controlled the court and opposed the commoners becoming officials in every possible way.
Militarily, Yu Xiyan intended to train a new army to replace the old one for guarding the Imperial Capital and the borders. However, she received strong protests from the generals, led by Huang Tianhu, the commander-in-chief of the Northern Border. They stated that if the Empress dared to touch a single soldier from the border army, they would personally lead an army of 500,000 to Chang'an to demand an explanation.
In addition, without Shen Zhao as a shield, many spokespersons for the aristocratic families in the court almost daily brought up the suggestion of choosing an Imperial consort for Yu Xiyan, which made her very tired.
She knew that in the previous nine lifetimes, these problems were all resolved by Shen Zhao with thunderous methods, and she had never been bothered by these trivial matters.
For public matters, Yu Xiyan urgently needed Shen Zhao to help her balance the pressure from these aristocratic families.
For private matters, to make up for what she owed Shen Zhao over the nine lifetimes.
Therefore, Shen Zhao was extremely important, both to herself and to the Great Yin Dynasty. She had to bring him back, no matter what.
Thinking of Shen Zhao defeating the giant dragon, the image of his perfect physique appeared before Yu Xiyan's eyes, and her cheeks couldn't help but blush slightly.
Why didn't I discover in my previous life that Shen Zhao's image was so captivating and enchanting?
As Yu Xiyan was preparing to leave, a figure in a black robe silently appeared before her.
"Your Majesty, the Supreme Emperor has instructed this old one to urge you to return to the Imperial Capital immediately."
Yu Xiyan's eyebrows furrowed slightly, her expression unchanged. "Has something happened in the Imperial Capital?"
"Minister Yang Gongyan of the Ministry of Revenue has reported that the river dykes in the Southern Border have broken, causing floods that have affected seven southern states. It's estimated that tens of millions of people are suffering, and Your Majesty is urgently needed to return to handle the disaster relief efforts."
Yu Xiyan was startled. "Seven southern states are affected?"
"Yes. Here is the Supreme Emperor's personal letter, as well as Minister Yang's memorial. Please, Your Majesty, take a look."
Taking the letter and the memorial, Yu Xiyan quickly scanned through them, her heart unable to calm down for a long time.
"I understand. I will return as soon as possible."
She sighed, realizing she might miss the chance to bring Shen Zhao back to the Imperial Capital this time.
This was the first test of her reign as emperor. If she could solve the famine and ensure the survival of her people, her position would be completely secured.
"There's something else," the black-robed elder said.
"The Celestial Que Dynasty's female emperor will soon visit the Imperial Capital and has specifically requested an audience with Your Majesty."
"The Celestial Que Dynasty!?" Yu Xiyan was shocked.
The Celestial Que Dynasty was a powerful empire with a history of nearly ten thousand years. It had at least a hundred known experts at the Supreme Realm, and its foundation was far beyond that of the Great Yin Dynasty.
Empress Luo Pianhong. She had reached the Great Emperor realm a thousand years ago, a being who could destroy the entire Great Yin Dynasty with a single gesture.
Why was she here to see her?
In her previous life, she didn't recall any entanglements with the Celestial Que Dynasty at this point in time.
Pushing these thoughts aside, Yu Xiyan nodded. "I understand. You may leave."
"This old servant takes his leave."
The black-robed figure dissolved into smoke, leaving Yu Xiyan alone, standing in place, deep in thought.
"The southern floods… the Celestial Que Dynasty…"
For a moment, Yu Xiyan didn't know how to handle these two sudden developments. She could only go and meet with Shen Zhao first.
"You're here?"
As soon as he arrived outside the sect, Shen Zhao waved to Yu Xiyan with a blank expression, then walked directly toward a secluded forest in the distance.
Seeing Shen Zhao, Yu Xiyan's previously gloomy mood improved somewhat, and she followed closely behind him.
The two of them remained silent, the atmosphere stifling and oppressive.
Just as they were about to enter the forest, Yu Xiyan finally couldn't help but break the silence. "Shen Zhao, do you know how much has happened in the Great Yin Dynasty recently?"
"I'm just a first-rank martial artist; why would I care about court affairs? Why do you ask, Miss Shen?"
Shen Zhao replied calmly.
Yu Xiyan stopped. "Do you know that the current Emperor of the Great Yin Dynasty's son-in-law has disappeared?"
Shen Zhao's heart skipped a beat. He replied calmly, "What does it have to do with me?"
Yu Xiyan asked, "Do you know the name of the Empress's husband?"
"I don't, and I don't want to know."
Shen Zhao decided to play dumb to the end. You're called Shen Yue, right? Then I'm not some imperial consort. After all, who in this day and age couldn't win an acting award?
"The husband's name is also Shen Zhao. Would you say that's a coincidence?"
"Well, it is a coincidence. There are plenty of people with the same name these days."
"You... truly aren't?"
"I said it's just a coincidence. An imperial consort is royalty, high and mighty, a very impressive existence. But what does that have to do with a mere wanderer like me?"
Yu Xiyan's face gradually turned pale upon hearing this.
Did he really not want to go back with her?
How was she supposed to explain her identity to him?
But, in her previous life, Shen Zhao had been very willing to stay by her side, eager to see her every day.
What exactly had gone wrong?
Yu Xiyan felt incredibly passive right now. She wanted to reveal her identity directly, but she was also afraid of scaring Shen Zhao away again, truly caught between a rock and a hard place.
What should she do?
"Alright, let's not talk about anything else. There's no one around now, so let's divide the spoils."
Entering the dense forest, Shen Zhao got straight to the point.
He took out three Dragon Cores from his storage bag, along with the Primal Dao Body that had concealed its aura, and handed them directly to Yu Xiyan.
"I believe in fairness. These three Dragon Cores and this Primal Dao Body are your share."
Shen Zhao hadn't originally wanted to give these treasures to Yu Xiyan, especially the Primal Dao Body.
But thinking about the owner of this Primal Dao Body, who had once gone to great lengths to ruin his life for Lin Feng, he just felt disgusted. Keeping it around would only be a nuisance.
Well, consider it repaying the royal family for their years of nurturing and cultivation in this life. After all, they'd never treated him poorly.
However, Yu Xiyan showed no reaction to these treasures, simply watching Shen Zhao silently.
"What? Not satisfied?"
Shen Zhao asked, puzzled.
Yu Xiyan shook her head, "These are all things you obtained. I didn't contribute, so I can't accept them."
Shen Zhao frowned, "Just take it if I tell you to. We agreed to split the treasures, so just take it without worry."
Yu Xiyan still didn't move, her gaze fixed on Shen Zhao for a long time before she slowly said, "If you really want to give me something, can we exchange it for another treasure?"
Shen Zhao's heart skipped a beat when he heard this. Could she have discovered that I have an even better Chaos God and Demon Body? No, that thing is for Su Yunying. Don't even think about it.
"What do you want to exchange for?"
Yu Xiyan lowered her head slightly, a blush appearing on her beautiful face. She whispered, "If possible, I want you. Can you agree?"
Shen Zhao's brow furrowed, and he decisively refused, "I'm sorry, Miss Yu. I don't want to talk about romantic matters for now. Please put away these unrealistic thoughts. This joke isn't funny at all."
Hearing Shen Zhao's refusal, Yu Xiyan felt even more dejected.
But she still forced herself to put on a smile. "Alright, I understand. Then I won't stand on ceremony."
With that, she put away the Dragon Core and the Primal Dao Body.
"I'm going now. I still have a lot to take care of."
"Okay, take care."
"Shen Zhao..."
"What is it?"
Yu Xiyan gazed at Shen Zhao with a tender expression, and after a long moment, her lips parted slightly. "We'll meet again, right?"
"We'll see how things go."
"Alright... Take care. If you ever get tired, you can come to Chang'an and find me."
"Mhm..."
"I'm off."
With those words, Yu Xiyan took flight on her sword. She turned back to look deeply at Shen Zhao, sighed softly, and reluctantly soared away.
Take your time. There's no rush. One day, I will have you back with me.
Yu Xiyan silently vowed.
She's finally gone. Sorry, but if possible, I'd prefer never to see her again.
Yu Xiyan's departure brought a sense of ease to Shen Zhao.
\n\n
Just as he sat down, a figure suddenly appeared behind him, accompanied by a clear call: "Boss!"
\n\n
"Damn, you trying to scare me to death?"
\n\n
"Hehe, I've been watching you guys in the forest for a while. How did you manage to get involved with such a beautiful female cultivator in such a short time? You're amazing."
\n\n
"If you don't talk, no one will think you're mute!"
\n\n
"Hehe, I think that Miss Shen seems quite fond of you. Why didn't you accept her?"
\n\n
"Accept my ass, haven't you heard the saying?"
\n\n
"What saying?"
"Marriage is a man's grave!"
"What nonsense. Hurry up and hand over the good stuff."
"You didn't do anything. Why should I give you anything? Is there even anything for you?"
"Oh, come on. When I become an empress, you can enjoy wealth and glory for the rest of your life, right?"
"Cut the crap. Where's Ding Buer?"
As soon as the words fell, Ding Buer scurried out.
"Master Shen, I'm here! Can we start dividing the spoils? I can't wait."
-----------------------
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