Under Uncle Lis guidance, Ah Jun, Ning er, and Xiao Xi passed through the outer perimeter of the Imperial Garden and arrived at the Taihe Hall—— This was where the imperial family and high-ranking officials held grand discussions, serving as a symbolic landmark of the palace. The retro design exuded elegance and grandeur, while its elevated foundation stood majestically. Climbing the steps, one felt as if reaching the summit.
As the children approached the hall, one by one, the generals, dressed in splendid clothes and full of vigor, were gradually visible to everyone——They were the garrison here, and also the royal guard, the royal guard, responsible for the security of the palace.
"Lord Xiao, pay your respects!"
After a message from a civil servant, Uncle Li led the children across the luxurious gate and into the hall. By now, many people were waiting.
At first glance, the hall appeared resplendent with golden splendor. Yet its vast interior—featuring a strikingly high ceiling of nearly 10 meters—created an unexpectedly serene atmosphere. As Ah Jun strolled through the space, he instinctively observed every detail—— The most eye-catching feature was the golden pillars standing in orderly rows on both sides, while the central pathway was lined with exquisitely crafted rosewood armchairs and tea tables. Walking along the red carpet, he felt as if he were attending an award ceremony.
At the farthest end, atop a grand platform stood two magnificent dragon and phoenix armchairs, their surfaces gleaming with opulence. The final backdrop, intricately carved, served as the ceremonial stage where the Emperor and Empress conducted daily governance. The dragon throne remained vacant, while the other chair held an elderly lady—— her dignified presence radiating regal grace befitting a mother ruler from afar.
——Well... This aunt is none other than the person Ah Jun seeks in this experience, the envoy of Zhuque County——She is not only the wife of the current Emperor and the head of the harem, but also the leader of the Changsun clan, the first leader of the alliance, and the mother of the young princess, Empress Dowager Changsun Zhi.
Of course, in this day and age, its all about one husband and one wife. The so-called harem is just the term for a virtuous wife. And Uncle Li, who led the team, was the queens confidant.
At this moment, Empress Dowager Changsun was watching the children from a distance, but she would occasionally cast downward glances—— which gave off an unusual vibe. What was going on? Ah Jun couldnt quite put his finger on it. After all, from a distance, the exterior might seem fine, but there was this lingering sense of pressure and tension emanating from the Empress Dowagers gaze.
In the front of the stage stood a few figures, with guards——flanking them. Compared to the Sacred Army outside the hall, these men appeared far more understated—clothed casually and beaming with smiles. Yet appearances cant tell the whole story; they were, after all, the Imperial Guard before the throne... But looking at their numbers, something felt off... Was there a missing member in the center of this formation?
On the coffee table next to him, there were some food scraps that had not been cleaned up, and several playing cards were scattered on the ground. At this time, not far away, Ah Jun caught a round figure holding something in a bag and hurried away in a hurry.
"See the King... see the Queen!"
"Ah, no need for formalities! Get up, hmm... Youre Xiao Jun, right? Youve grown so much —— Look at this belly..."
"Aunt, Im Xiao Xi—— Its only been a few months and youre face-blind again..."
"Uh... Hey, how could I not know—— Well, Xiao Jun..."
"Cough, cough..."
"Ah? Ha ha... Come on, children, sit!"
At this moment, a tall middle-aged uncle standing in the center of the sacred guard approached Ah Jun and his companions with an air of dignity—— Standing over eight feet tall, his hair was graying, and his square face with short hair gave him an air of superiority. While his appearance exuded a sense of grandeur, his speech proved surprisingly approachable.
He is the present emperor, Gongsun Ye.
So, Ah Jun and Xiao Xi, with great respect, performed the ritual of ruler and people, but Ninger was calm, just nodded, then looked at the boy next to her.
"Cough!"
After some inexplicable small talk, the childrens chatter was interrupted by a cough, and then, under the emperors warm invitation, the children sat down—— while the other adults stood, apparently afraid to make a fuss in the presence of the queen.
" small ..."
" cough!"
"—— Xiao Xi, who is that little girl?"
"O... I report to the Emperor and Empress, this is our friend, the Holy Maiden of Xuanwu County, Ninger!"
"Oh, thats natural —— right... ha ha, the child —— she is your girlfriend?"
"Aunt, shes my..."
"Um... yes, right..."
"God, do you know what a girlfriend is!"
"Ah, its just a woman, wasnt it?"
" forehead ..."
"Ah, ha ha, yes, everyone is still young, they are friends... Hey, Xiao Xi, have you seen Xin?"
After everyone had taken their seats, the Emperor posed a question that would have confused even children—— Xiao Xi beamed as he introduced his companion, while Ah Jun looked utterly bewildered, completely lost in the question. As for Ninger, her heart stirred with subtle tremors—her lips twitched in surprise one moment, then instantly turned to disappointment the next.
Fortunately, the emperors remark temporarily eased the atmosphere, and Xiao Xi also explained her experience in detail. However, because she talked too much and lied, she was repeatedly advised by Ah Jun.
"Um... its getting late, are you hungry—— lets have dinner together...?"
"Yay!"
"Cough, cough! I just know how to eat —— and walk away!"
Thinking the children must be ravenous, the Emperor suddenly proposed a brilliant idea. Given the late hour——Xiao Xi was overjoyed, for the imperial kitchen wasnt open daily. He had been eagerly awaiting this grand feast for quite some time.
However, at the command of the Holy Queen, their expectations were completely shattered——and they saw that the aunt with a serious face began to scold them while slowly standing up, then walked away with an air of arrogance, glanced at Ah Jun and said, "Follow up."
—— That look... Oh, who would not tremble if they saw it. Tsk tsk tsk, much more powerful than the little princess!
"Hum! You, you still know how to come, lets see how you can get through... and let us wait for you so long!"
By this point, the Holy Empress had completely transformed from her initial appearance to what the children would never forget—— Within mere minutes of their first encounter, Ah Jun realized that even Xiao Xi found the old witch terrifying. This Holy Empress wasnt just hyped up – she truly embodied the might of a mother reigning over all... Xiao Xis words proved utterly true. This was nothing short of a ferocious tiger in human form!
—— Well, even the current emperor, the ruler of the country, is obedient? How can she be the best of all?
However, this is quite understandable—— After all, the Holy Empress is the current leader of the Changsun clan, the dominant force in the alliance. Its said that despite her young age, she has not only earned the Emperors Swords recognition – which allows her to activate the advanced form of the Xuanyuan Sword (the princesss ceremonial blade) – but also demonstrates mastery over the exclusive secret technique known as "Quetong".
—— If the little princess has just used a junior ability, then the queen must have reached senior, after all, she is one of the few grand masters!
So then, Ah Jun and his friends had to follow this big man while looking at each other and muttering——until the Holy Queen stopped and had to stop... What happened? Did she hear us?
—— Hmm... I dont know!
Because at this time, the children saw that there was a bookshelf in front of them, with books and brocade boxes on it, and a blue and white porcelain from Jingdezhen—— The Holy Queen was standing in front of the bookshelf, not knowing what to do.
—— Hmm... I see. There shouldn t be a secret passage here, right? In TV shows, they always do this. The vase on the bookshelf must have a mechanism. Just turn it around and itll open...
"Overthinking!"
It was also when Ah Jun and his friends were waiting for the miracle to come that they saw the Holy Queen take an object from there and hold it in her right hand. Then she gave the child a kiss with a faint smile, and continued to stroll with everyone else.
—— It sounds like she can sense my thoughts... And, she just said it was late, why is she so relaxed now?
"Father... Mother!"
"Your Majesty, Your Queen!"
Then, after the main force had once again bypassed the Imperial Garden and crossed another river, they arrived at the entrance—— of another palace that looked similar to the Forbidden City. Although it was not as spacious as the Hall of Supreme Harmony, its circular shape and pagoda-like spire gave a more sacred feeling.
In addition, the temperature fluctuations in this imperial city are truly dramatic. Just moments ago, it was still the chill of winter, but now, the temperature here is already midsummer——Suddenly, a voice that felt both familiar and strange to Ah Jun rang out again...
—— Hmm? Oh... its the little princess and Yuwen Lu here!
"Well... good —— Xiao Lu, you have grown much taller!"
"You... still know how to come!"
However, I saw that the little princess who had just returned from her heart was happily greeting her parents, but she was scolded mercilessly by the Holy Queen. Fortunately, the Holy Emperor came to the rescue, so there was no big wave, but...
"Mother... its all his fault. The —— pervert who made me late!"
"Stop!..."
" I ..."
After seeing Ah Jun, the girl was furious—— She urgently explained the reason to her parents, but the father seemed a little overwhelmed by his childs accusations, and the Holy Queen became extremely strict, scolding her child in a low voice!
Perhaps, in front of so many people, she shouldnt have expressed herself that way. After all, she was a princess, a descendant of the royal family—— As the Empress Dowager scolded her, the little princess looked at her father, pouting and wanting to speak but holding back—— Clearly, the girl wanted to appeal, but dared not say more, her eyes already reddened.
Then, after the Holy Queen turned her head and glared, the little princess had no choice but to lower her head, wipe away her tears, and remain silent—— While standing there in silence, Ah Jun didnt even notice the princesss reproach. He stared blankly at the girls pained expression, feeling a twinge of reluctance. Perhaps he truly believed he had wronged her, which was why he felt so guilty.
"Madam, please hear me out..."
"You... come in!"
Looking at the poor girl, suddenly, Ah Jun remembered what Xiao Xi said —— the girls bad temper was probably caused by one of the parents in her family of origin.
So, he bravely spoke up, wanting to plead for the little princess, but couldnt find the right moment. Just then, the parent, the Holy Queen, activated the palace gates with her object—— A crimson feather floated from her palm, swirling and gliding toward the entrance. Upon reaching the lock position, it suddenly transformed and unlocked!
Then, the queen ignored the boys appeal and quickly ordered to follow up—— So, since thats the case, how can Ah Jun do anything else but obey, otherwise, should we go through this training or not!
After greeting the others, the child obediently followed them into the palace. At this time, Xiao Xi and Ninger naturally wanted to follow along together, after all, they were worried, but their motives must have been different.
"Aunt, can we go in together?"
"Ah... Okay! Hey, your aunt didnt say you couldnt go together, did you?"
"Exactly!"
"Im going to..."
"Xiner, why are you going?"
"Oh, I dont care. I must go and see —— him like that, and try to get through the training of our eldest grandsons family —— Hmph, Ill see him embarrass himself!"
"Okay, Uncle Li... Xiao Lu, then you come on!"
"Yea, Your Majesty!"
After receiving the official authorization, Xiao Xi and Ning er immediately followed in. Soon after, the still sulking little princess suddenly demanded to join them, hoping to see for herself and find an opportunity to vent her frustrations—— After all, in her view, the trials of the Changsun clan were the most challenging among the five commanderies. Even she herself hadnt completed them, let alone an unscrupulous outsider like herself.
As a father and a servant to his daughter, the emperor had no choice but to agree. However, he was worried about his daughters temperament and had to follow him with Uncle Li and Yuwen Lü to prevent another outbreak of storms.