Chapter 522 - 429: From Now On, This Harem Is Going to Be Very Lively
Chapter 522: Chapter 429: From Now On, This Harem Is Going to Be Very Lively
After becoming Xiao Mo’s personal maid and earning his trust, Si Li was by his side every day.
At first, Si Li didn’t really understand the affairs of the Imperial Palace.
But it wasn’t long before she had mastered all her duties, after consulting the Palace Maid Yang’er a few times.
Then, Si Li discovered that her master’s life in this incarnation was indeed a bit too fraught with hardship.
Her master had truly become a Puppet Emperor, with no real duties to attend to all day. He did nothing but cultivate and read.
Since Xiao Mo had nothing to do, Si Li naturally didn’t have much to do either.
Still, even though Xiao Mo was just a figurehead, Si Li was proud of her master.
’For one thing, my master has only been cultivating for a year, yet he has already reached Qi Cultivation Twelfth Layer Perfection and is on the verge of Foundation Establishment.’
For an ordinary person to reach Foundation Establishment, even a talented one, would take three to four years.
’Even in a top-tier Sect, my master’s talent for cultivation would be enough to make him a Direct Disciple.’
’But for an Emperor to reach Foundation Establishment... how could it possibly be that easy?’
Cultivation was, by its very nature, an act of defying the heavens.
And even more so for an Emperor.
In Si Li’s eyes, if her master didn’t abdicate the throne and insisted on cultivating as an Emperor, it would be more than just defying the heavens—it would be stealing the secrets of heaven itself!
Si Li couldn’t understand why her master insisted on staying in the Imperial Palace instead of joining a Sect.
Unable to figure out the reason, Si Li decided not to dwell on it.
’When the time comes, I’ll find a chance to get him out of the Imperial Palace and take him to the Western Regions.’
’Once we’re back in the Western Regions, everything will be fine.’
’So what if it’s the Wanjian Sect?’
’Can the Wanjian Sect’s reach possibly extend all the way to my Western Regions?’
In addition to caring for Xiao Mo, Si Li also went to Lingxin Palace every other day to report on Xiao Mo’s status to the Empress Dowager.
Whenever she went to the Empress Dowager’s palace, Si Li would bind her chest. She would undo it upon her return, and then tell Xiao Mo about what was happening in Lingxin Palace.
To Si Li, these palace intrigues were of little importance.
’If my master wished it,’ Si Li thought, ’I could kill them all and leave with him. Or I could take back this Zhou Kingdom and return it to him.’
But...
The woman in the National Preceptor’s Mansion kept Si Li from daring to act on any of these thoughts for the time being.
Over the past several days, through her own inquiries and by subtly probing Xiao Mo, Si Li had learned that the masked woman from the National Preceptor’s Mansion was supposedly just an Inner Sect Disciple of the Wanjian Sect, appointed as the National Master of the Zhou Kingdom on the Sect’s orders.
But Si Li knew better. ’How could she possibly be just an ordinary Inner Sect Disciple?’
Others might not know, but Si Li had crossed swords with her. How could she not know the truth?
’What kind of Inner Sect Disciple is in the Ascension Realm?’
And in this world...
Ascension Realm Sword Cultivators could be counted on one hand.
And among them, there was only a single female Sword Cultivator in the Ascension Realm.
This person was the Sect Leader of the Wanjian Sect—Jiang Qingyi.
’But why would Jiang Qingyi, the Sect Leader of the Wanjian Sect, be here in the Zhou Royal Palace?’
’And willingly serve as a mere National Master?’
Si Li simply could not wrap her head around it.
But her woman’s intuition told her...
...that this Jiang Qingyi definitely had special feelings for her master.
It was just that Jiang Qingyi’s feelings for him were very strange.
She seemed to want to get closer to him, yet at the same time, she seemed to push him away. She was constantly running hot and cold, lacking the clean, decisive nature typical of a Sword Cultivator.
But Si Li had to admit that Jiang Qingyi, the Sect Leader of the Wanjian Sect, had indeed taught her master genuine skills.
It was just as her master had said.
Jiang Qingyi was indeed cold on the outside and warm on the inside, with a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
Verbally, she was critical of her master’s cultivation, but in reality, she was deeply concerned, terrified he might take a single wrong step on his path.
In any case, as far as Si Li was concerned, Jiang Qingyi was the one she needed to be most wary of.
As for the two Consorts who would soon be entering the Imperial Palace...
...Si Li didn’t consider them a threat in the slightest.
’The daughter of the Minister of the Ministry of Rites.’
’A Princess from the Qin Kingdom.’
’They’re just two mortals.’
’I have plenty of ways to deal with them.’
Of course, Xiao Mo couldn’t read minds, so he was completely oblivious to Si Li’s thoughts.
He continued to cultivate and read every single day.
However, Xiao Mo found this "Si Li" to be quite useful indeed.
She was clever, perceptive, and handled her tasks with clean efficiency.
Of course, Xiao Mo also knew that the main reason he was growing fonder of her was her unwavering loyalty.
’Ability is important, but sometimes, loyalty is the most crucial prerequisite, no matter how capable someone is.’
But Si Li was not entirely without her "flaws."
Whenever she served him tea, every time she bent over, Xiao Mo could see that delicate and magnificent Zishan Snow Sea.
Every time she helped him change his clothes, or came into close contact with him, those two snowy peaks would brush against him from time to time.
She would even occasionally spill water on her collar while drinking, her thin clothes clinging to those towering snowy peaks.
And a faint, alluring blush would sometimes appear on her cheeks.
However, with two Consorts about to enter the Imperial Palace, Xiao Mo knew he had to keep himself in check.
To say nothing of the fact that the Empress Dowager had a Female Official periodically check on Si Li’s chastity.
So even though Xiao Mo was aware of her intentions—aware that she was eager to "get ahead"—he feigned ignorance.
As the days passed, the day of Xiao Mo’s wedding ceremony drew ever closer.
Invitations had already been dispatched from the Zhou Royal Palace.
Although the wedding ceremony had been postponed twice before, Xiao Mo knew that this time, it was finally going to happen.