Volume 1, Chapter 40: She Cannot Stomach Meat

As the Benevolent Peace Palace came into view and the figures of guards and palace attendants gradually grew denser, Su Muchen tactfully fell silent.

They had just reached the palace gate when Wu Tianyi happened to arrive. The moment he spotted Xie Jiayin, he came over with the easy familiarity of an old acquaintance and asked with a smile, “Did you run into Commander Jin on the way?”

A congratulatory message was one thing, but what gift could the Prince of Zhou’s household possibly present? That was what concerned every court official most. Jewelry, curios, calligraphy, and paintings were hardly worth mentioning. Ideally, they would offer up another... a whole crate of fresh auspicious omens for everyone to marvel at.

Fortunately, Song Shi had the plans for the industrial park with him. They also had to bring a group of craftsmen among the refugees back to the capital to build gardens and workshops, construct kilns, manufacture machinery, and manage the laborers. Otherwise, they would not be able to return to court with their fellow officials this year.

Under everyone’s gaze, Gu Jinxi was battered about like a ball—struck into the air, then slammed back onto the ground—with no strength whatsoever to fight back.

When Grandmother Ye left, she had been extremely worried about Ye Miao. Ye Miao had sworn that by the time Grandmother returned, she would have sold everything here. Yet Grandmother had been gone for quite some time, and hardly anything had been moved.

Duan Weiqi flung off his suit jacket and stood in his shirt, four buttons undone, making him practically half-naked above the waist. He still wore suit trousers and leather shoes below. He dashed to one side, and the camera followed him, revealing—quite unexpectedly—a pole for pole dancing.

“Miaomiao, when Grandmother is no longer here, you must take good care of yourself.” Grandmother Ye clasped Ye Miao’s hand, unable to put her mind at ease about the girl.

“Brother Zhang, don’t keep calling me Governor. I’m only the executive deputy governor for now, still a long way from becoming governor. It wouldn’t be good if someone overheard you!” Fu Zongchang said with a laugh.

That day, Fang Xinyan did not attend school. Instead, she sat in the living room cultivating her inner power. Since it was her first attempt and she was still unfamiliar with the process, she brought Wu Yue only seventeen points.

“Luoyang is truly Luoyang.” A-Sheng pointed with his riding crop toward the fields on either side of the road, their crops nearly ripe. “The disaster may be the same, but Luoyang’s relief efforts are far better than Yuzhou’s. The closer we get to the city walls, the fewer scenes of people starving to death we see.”

The supreme ruler always hopes for the country to prosper—unless, of course, he happens to be one of those rare and utterly bizarre exceptions.

“No, it’s just...” Wang Yan could not bring himself to continue. He could hardly tell her what was truly in his heart—that he felt she was lying to him.

Seated to Wang Yan’s left were his trusted aides. Zhang San, Li Si, Fang Tianyou, Yue Pengju, Mole, and the others were all below. When Li Si heard that people from Ice Condensation City had arrived, he had deliberately hurried back with his men. At that moment, he sat beside Zhang San, while Zhang Tie and Zhao You occupied the back row.

I no longer knew what else to say. All I could feel were tears welling in my eyes. The knot in my heart had finally loosened, yet her words moved me so deeply that I was utterly overwhelmed.

The burly man suddenly whipped around and said through clenched teeth, “Why report it to the authorities? I am the authority! Family disgrace must not be aired before outsiders. If this reaches the magistrate’s office, how am I supposed to stand in court from now on?!”

A headless corpse suddenly became the object of a fresh struggle between the two sides. Seven or eight dogs growled low in their throats, refusing to let go as they fought fiercely over it. In the end, the corpse was torn in half. Beside its feet lay a Fangtian painted halberd, its shaft reflecting a faint, dim glow beneath the hazy moonlight.

At first, Dajin failed to recognize Xiyun because she could not believe that the woman who had once been so arrogant and overbearing could now possess such a tranquil, peaceful face.

Wang Yan invited Yufei Bai and Murong Yao’er into his residence, arranging guest rooms for them in the outer courtyard. As for Mole, Wang Yan placed him in the rear courtyard of the county government office.

Qingyuzi smiled and said, “We are all disciples of the Daoist tradition, so there is no need for formalities between us.” He then introduced the people accompanying him to Xiaoxiazi, who returned each greeting with a bow and thanks.