Chapter 614

The east room was brightly lit by candlelight. A lifelike golden beast was placed on the tea table in the corner of the room. Sandalwood smoke curled up from the beast's mouth.

Xu Qi'an lifted the curtain with his hand and walked into the room. He sat down at the table and said seriously,

"Master Teacher, you've expended a lot of energy in today's battle. I was worried about you, so I came to see you."

As he spoke, he admired the woman sitting cross-legged on the bed. She had taken off her outer robe, revealing a bright silk shirt underneath.

A jade belt as wide as a finger was tied around her waist, outlining her slender waist. Paired with her towering breasts, it immediately revealed the most beautiful curves and proportions of a woman.

Men could never resist a woman with full breasts and a slender waist.

What's more, the cold beauty on the bed had a round, supple, perky butt.

Luo Yuheng said calmly,

"Must it be in the middle of the night?"

"If it's not at night, are you going to do it in the daytime …" Xu Qi'an muttered to himself and said seriously,

"Speaking of which, we've already had [Dual Cultivation] twice since we entered Jianghu."

Each time, it lasted seven days.

Luo Yuheng's exquisite jade-like face changed slightly when he heard this. He said in an ice-cold voice,

"[Dual Cultivation] is a deal between you and me. There's no need to mention it. In the past, we should maintain the distance that we should. Don't let what happened during the deal mess up your state of mind."

"You're pulling up your pants and ignoring me. If I were the one who said that, I would definitely be condemned as a scum …" Xu Qi'an somewhat anticipated Master Teacher's attitude.

That day, he went to Lingbao Temple to ask her to come to Xunzhou to support him. In the end, he encountered that stupid woman, Mu Nanzi, who came to Lingbao Temple to show off …

Xu Qi'an knew that Master Teacher wouldn't be nice to him. The reason why he came to Xunzhou today was because Master Teacher had the big picture in mind. Xu Qi'an admired this. Master Teacher and His Majesty were the most rational fish that could see the big picture.

"Of course, of course. Master Teacher is the head of Taoism in Renzong, a heroine among women. Naturally, you're different from ordinary women. But what I want to say is … "

After a pause, Xu Qi'an said, "When is the next time for [Dual Cultivation]? Don't misunderstand, Master Teacher. You know, even though the Black Lotus has been eliminated and the Jinlian Taoist Priest can recover his cultivation and return to Level Two.

"But there are still Galo Tree and White Emperor in Yunzhou. The gap is still huge. There's still a gap between Yunzhou and Qingzhou and Xu Pingfeng.

Xu Qi 'an was a martial artist who had just entered Rank-2. Relying on the Force of Living Beings and various tricks, he was able to push his combat power to the same level as Asura. If he were to unleash his full strength, he could even destroy one of Garuda Bodhisattva's Dharma Form.

In that case, Xu Pingfeng, who was at the peak of Rank-2, would have no problem raising his combat strength to the threshold of Rank-1 with the help of the Force of Living Beings.

Xu Qi 'an flipped open the cup and took a sip of the cold water.

"That's why it's crucial when you can enter the first grade, Imperial Tutor."

Luo Yuheng nodded in agreement. Among the Transcendents of the Great Feng Side, no one could advance to the next grade in a short time, except for her.

"Then the next time the Fire of Karmic Retribution will be …" Xu Qi 'an probed.

Half a month later, it was not only once a month. She was gradually able to suppress the Hellfire and delay its outbreak!

Half a month later, as expected, it wasn't just once a month. She was gradually able to suppress the Hellfire and delay its outbreak! "Master Teacher, there's one more thing I don't understand."

"State Preceptor, there's still something I don't understand."

Luo Yuheng replied with an expressionless "hmm", indicating for him to speak frankly.

"I remember that the core purpose of dual cultivation is to calm the Karmic Fire. When the Imperial Preceptor transcends the tribulation in the future, he will be able to focus on resisting the Heavenly Tribulation. He won't have to worry about the Karmic Fire burning him and causing his death.

Luo Yuheng nodded his head slightly.

"I remember that the main purpose of [Dual Cultivation] is to calm the Hellfire. That way, Master Teacher will be able to focus on resisting the Heavenly Tribulation and won't have to worry about being burned by the Hellfire and dying."

"In other words, we don't have to wait for the Karmic Fire's backlash before we can dual cultivate."

Luo Yuheng looked at him coldly.

Xu Qi'an rubbed his hands excitedly.

Xu Qi 'an rubbed his hands excitedly.

It would be even better if he could apply for the Nine Nine Six Blessings.

It would be even better if he could apply for the Nine Nine Six Blessings.

As soon as he said that, Luo Yuheng slashed at him with her sword. Although she did not quite understand the meaning of "overtime", she immediately understood what Xu Qi'an was trying to do when she saw his winking expression and tone.

The Godly Sword struck Xu Qi'an's shoulder with a clang, creating a string of sparks. The curtains in the room swayed and the plants swayed.

"Is the Imperial Tutor shy?"

Xu Qi'an flashed to the side of the bed and hooked his arm around Luo Yuheng's waist with a smile.

"Let go!"

Luo Yuheng frowned and said angrily,

"Have I been too lenient with you? You're getting more and more impudent."

The Divine Sword stabbed Xu Qi 'an's back with a' ding ding ding 'sound, just like a small fist hitting a servant girl who wanted to humiliate her young miss.

If you didn't want to cultivate together, why did you stay in Xun Province? You could have returned to the capital during the day. If you didn't want to cultivate together, why did you light a candle in the middle of the night to hint at me? Also, the sandalwood incense in the incense burner is mixed with some aphrodisiac powder. If you didn't want to cultivate together, do you think it's fun to inhale it …

"Grand Preceptor …" Xu Qi 'an softly whispered sweet nothings that were used to coax women.

He could not expose Luo Yuheng in front of her, so he had to say something nice to show that he was the one who was lustful and not the Master Teacher's intention to cultivate together.

Otherwise, the Master Teacher would explode on the spot and chase him out.

A woman of noble status like Luo Yuheng, who was aloof and proud, was most susceptible to this kind of half-heartedness.

As Xu Qi'an coaxed her, he untied Luo Yuheng's belt and lowered his head to kiss her neck.

"Let go!"

Luo Yuheng pushed his chest with one hand and pressed the hand on her waist with the other. She glared at him.

"When my karmic fire backfires, I'll find you. Get up. My patience is limited."

The Godly Sword released a soaring sword intent.

Xu Qi'an hugged her tightly and smiled.

"Let us be linked together. I can die with no regrets if I can die with the Master Teacher."

As he spoke, he pushed Luo Yuheng onto the bed.

"Get up!"

"No!"

"Xu Qi'an, do you want to die?"

"Yes."

"…"

After a moment of stalemate, Luo Yuheng's chest rose and fell. She turned her face to the side and said coldly,

"Just this once!"

The Godly Sword fell to the ground with a clang. The raised bed curtain fell automatically, blocking the view inside the bed.

It was quiet in the East Room. Only the faint sound of clothes being taken off could be heard.

After a while, the hanging bed curtain moved. Robes, skirts, and dudou rolled out.

After a while, the hanging bed curtain began to move. The large wooden bed made a solo in the quiet night.

…

The capital city, five o 'clock in the morning.

This was the third court meeting since Princess Royal ascended to the throne.

The officials in the capital city thought that the new emperor would show a diligent attitude. For a long time to come, there would be morning court meetings every day.

Yuan Jing and Yongxing, who had abdicated not long ago, did the same.

But Huaiqing did not. She showed great confidence and did not use this kind of method to show her diligent attitude.

In today's court meeting, hundreds of officials passed through the Meridian Gate, crossed the Jinshui Bridge, stood on the steps, stood in the officialdom, or entered the throne room.

There were many unfamiliar faces.

In addition to the officials who had been promoted in the purge of the court, there was also the first batch of officials who came to the capital to report.

After the situation in the capital city stabilized, Huaiqing ordered the administrative envoys, commanders-in-chief, and some of the more powerful officials to report to the capital.

Now, the first batch of officials had arrived in the capital city.

They waited nervously in the courier station for three days, but the empress did not receive them. This was very embarrassing because they could not contact the officials in the capital city in private before meeting the empress.

Until yesterday, they finally received the notice to attend the court meeting.

These officials who returned to the capital to report suppressed their resentment and nervousness and followed the officials into the throne room.

"Your Majesty, the spring sacrifice is approaching. I sent people to investigate the situation of the farmers in the various provinces and found that the phenomenon of land annexation is serious. Even if spring returns, the refugees want to return to their hometown to farm, but there is no land for them to farm. "

The Minister of Revenue stepped forward.

When ordinary people could not survive, it was normal for them to sell their land. This gave the aristocrats and big landlords the opportunity to buy land at a low price. They did not even need to threaten the people, and there would be people who could not survive voluntarily selling their land.

The phenomenon pointed out by the Minister of Revenue was the most serious problem the imperial court faced after the harsh winter.

This was considered the sequelae of the cold disaster.

A woman wearing a bright yellow dragon robe swept her majestic gaze across the officials.

"My dear officials, do you have any good ideas?"

The officials offered their ideas one after another, but they were all clichés that treated the symptoms and not the root cause.

Since ancient times, the imperial court hated land annexation the most, but it was also the most helpless.

This was because the people who annexed the land were the "rulers" of the various provinces. Most of those rich and powerful aristocrats were officials who retired and returned to their hometown. No one would be stupid enough to fight themselves, and the officials were also people of this class.

Secondly, this problem was indeed difficult to deal with, because if they were to force it too much, they would encounter a backlash from the landlords.

Especially in the current turbulent situation, it made the officials even more constrained.

Yongxing, this useless person … Huaiqing listened quietly and said,

"I have a few ideas. Everyone, please listen to them."

If Yongxing had adopted Xu Erlang's strategy, the phenomenon of land annexation would have been greatly alleviated.

The incompetence of the emperor would bring disaster to the country and the people.

Huaiqing said,

"Build more cities and towns in Jianzhou and Yuzhou, increase the trade with the Northern Demon Barbarians, the Southern Demon Kingdom, and the Gu tribe, and collect business taxes from the Central Plains caravans and foreign tribes to fill the national treasury."

The officials' eyes lit up.

This was indeed a good idea. The Southern Border was rich in resources, including wood, herbs, prey, and fur. It could be said to be an inexhaustible treasure land.

The Northern Demon Barbarians were also rich in fur, which happened to be the most in demand in the Central Plains. The Central Plains caravans would definitely rush to do business in the cities.

Silver would flow into the national treasury in large amounts.

In the past, His Majesty's idea would definitely not work. But recently, Xu Yinluo had formed an alliance with the Demon Kingdom and the Gu tribe, and the two sides had a harmonious trade foundation.

In this way, not only would the national treasury be filled, but the resources from the Southern Border and the Northern Border would also flow into the Central Plains, greatly alleviating the shortage of resources.

And with trade, it would definitely stimulate labor, so that the people would have something to do and a harvest.

While the officials were analyzing the pros and cons of this plan, Huaiqing continued.

"During wartime, people will be killed if they buy or sell land! Let the Ministry of Revenue thoroughly investigate the land transactions since the beginning of winter. Anyone who buys or sells land will be killed without mercy! "

This sentence instantly pulled the officials back to reality. The faces of the officials who were reporting to the government changed.

"Your Majesty, please reconsider."

Qian Qingshu stepped out of the ranks and said in a deep voice.

"If so, it will definitely lead to a counterattack from the local tyrants. It will be even more chaotic, and the consequences will be unimaginable."

Huaiqing nodded slightly.

"Minister Qian is right. I have just ascended to the throne, and it is not appropriate for me to kill people. Let those who buy the land sell it back to the imperial court at the price they bought it."

Hearing this, the officials were stunned for a moment.

They suddenly understood the reason why Her Majesty Huaiqing set up the cities. This was to pave the way for the recovery of the land. If the people sold their land, they would definitely sell it at a low price, and the imperial court would not need to spend too much to buy it back.

But although this was a good idea, the local tyrants and landlords might not agree.

A minister who returned to the capital to report on his work stepped out of the ranks and said in a loud voice.

"Your Majesty, although this is a good idea, the timing is not right."

Using the current political situation as an excuse, he rambled on and on.

Of course, he could not openly argue with Huaiqing. Using the war as an excuse was the best excuse, and it did make sense.

The imperial court did not have the ability to do this at the moment.

Sitting high on the throne, Huaiqing listened to him expressionlessly. She looked at the officials below and said,

"Last night, I received a message from Xu Yinluo's magical artifact. He won a great victory in Xun Province and killed more than ten thousand enemies. Xu Yinluo defeated the Extraordinary Master of Yun Province and killed the Dao Master of the Earth Sect in Qing Province."

There was a sudden silence in the Throne Room.

After a few seconds of silence, Liu Hong, the Imperial Censor of the Left, was overjoyed.

He shouted, "God bless Daibun, God bless Your Majesty!"

Joy spread in the hall. The officials were in high spirits, and their faces were full of excitement.

Ever since the "death" of the Supervisor, the imperial court had been in a low state. They needed this kind of victory to boost their morale.

The officials who came to the capital to report on their work looked at each other in shock.

At this moment, they suddenly understood why the Empress had deliberately ignored them. The dissatisfaction and wariness in their hearts disappeared.

They no longer dared to oppose the forceful purchase of the land. They believed that with the Empress's ability and boldness, she would definitely be able to carry out a large-scale massacre.

And the fact proved that the imperial court had the ability to do so.

…

After the court session ended.

Minister Sun caught up with Qian Qingshu and sighed.

"I feel like I've returned to the time when Wei Yuan was still alive."

He was referring to the situation when Yuan Jing was still on the throne. Unlike the Yongxing Emperor, Yuan Jing's ability and scheming could suppress the Wei Party and the Wang Party.

Qian Qingshu was silent for a while, then shook his head.

"No, Your Majesty's ability far exceeds that of the Yuanjing Emperor."

Huaiqing's ability to handle government affairs was not comparable to that of the Yuanjing Emperor. The latter was good at scheming, while the former was good at it.

The Empress's series of strategies just now made Qian Qingshu feel ashamed that he was an incompetent official.

Minister Sun smiled.

"That's a good thing."

Qian Qingshu was silent for a few seconds, then sighed.

"Yes, it's a very good thing. Daibun's fate hasn't run out yet."

…

After daybreak, news of the great victory in Xunzhou was posted on the bulletin boards of the various government offices and on the announcement walls at the city gates.

Just as Liu Hong had said, this was an exciting piece of news. It wiped away the last aftereffects of Huai Qing's ascension.

Even the most stubborn and inflexible person would no longer be able to say that a woman's ascension would bring disaster to the country and the people.

"Her Majesty is truly a person chosen by the heavens. No wonder the day of her ascension was auspicious. Look, it hasn't been long since she ascended the throne, but Yongzhou has already won the battle. We don't have to worry about the rebel army attacking the capital anymore."

Yongzhou was right next to the capital. If the battle in Yongzhou was unfavorable, the people of the capital would panic.

"Of course Her Majesty is the chosen one, because she was chosen by Xu Yinluo."

"That's what I said. Xu Yinluo is a hero who single-handedly drove away two hundred thousand soldiers of the Church of Witchcraft at Yuyang Pass. That's just the rebel army of Yunzhou."

"What's the realm of a second-rank expert? Is he very powerful?"

"Of course he's powerful, but no matter how powerful he is, he's not as powerful as Xu Yinluo. Xu Yinluo is a first-rank expert."

"Nonsense. Isn't that just one rank more powerful than a second-rank expert? Xu Yinluo is clearly an emperor. He has no rank."

The news quickly spread, and the people in the marketplace cheered.

…

In the mansion in Xunzhou:

Xu Qi'an was sound asleep when he was suddenly jolted awake by a familiar palpitation.

He lazily stretched out a hand. The shard of the Book of the Earth flew up from the messy pile of clothes and crashed into the low-hanging curtain.

Then, it was intercepted by a fair, jade-like hand.

Luo Yuheng opened her eyes and pulled back her arm. She looked at the mirror of the shard as if it were a cell phone.

Xu Qi'an could only move closer to her and look at the words on the mirror with her.

Luo Yuheng frowned and said indifferently,

"You're pressing against my hair."

"Cut it into a buzz cut …" Xu Qi'an complained in his heart. He carefully tucked her hair that was scattered on the soft pillow.

Only then was Luo Yuheng satisfied.

[Nine: I has begun to refine the primordial spirit of the Black Lotus. Hmm, I can tell you some secrets now.]

Not bad. The Jinlian Taoist priest is a man of his word … Xu Qi'an's eyes lit up.

He explained to his aunt, "It's about the secret of the shard of the Earth Book."