In the Empire’s mainland, a high-speed floating ship soared into the sky, drawing an elegant arc and flying towards the distance.
The officer at the floating ship port on the ground watched for a while before writing “Departing to Qinland” in the logbook. After the routine record, he continued to observe the next ship’s course and verified it against the scheduled data.
He had no idea that after the previous floating ship disappeared from view, it changed course again, raised two new masts, and with the power sails hoisted, its speed greatly increased, heading towards the boundless void. Even if the officer knew, he would pretend not to know. Otherwise, if he reported it, the entire landing field would be held responsible for poor supervision, and everyone, from top to bottom, would be punished.
Far away, the hull of the floating ship opened, extending several horizontal masts. The primal force arrays on the masts lit up continuously, and then a new protective shield enveloped the entire ship, defending against the primal force storms in the void.
After the protective shield was generated, the cabin door opened, and a dignified figure stepped onto the deck, standing at the bow. He stood casually, but his sharp aura rose like a drawn sword.
A gaunt old man followed behind him, saying, “Young Master, such a significant matter, without informing your family, might not be appropriate, right?”
The young man turned, revealing a handsome face, but his gaze was too piercing, making one feel a chill and fear, unable to appreciate his beauty. Hearing the old man’s words, he sneered, “Whatever Li Kuanglan does, those old fools have no say!”
“But, Young Master—”
Li Kuanglan interrupted, “No buts. Half of those old fogeys in the council are not as strong as me, and I will soon surpass the rest. Such a group of talentless people want to instruct me on which path to take?”
The old man sighed, “You’re right, but it’s still not proper to not inform Her Majesty.”
Li Kuanglan’s momentum faltered slightly, “My sister has so many matters to attend to; she has no time to worry about my trifles.”
“Trifles? This concerns the Great Vortex. Young Master, please think again.”
“We’ve already set out. Going back would be troublesome.”
“The Great Vortex will fully open in a few days. If we hurry now, it’s just a day’s delay. One day won’t matter much for someone of your caliber. But any longer, and you’ll be at a disadvantage.”
Li Kuanglan was indifferent, “I don’t care about the little things near the entrance.”
“Last time, the Lotus Born was found near the entrance. Is there anything more important than that?”
“There is one thing.”
“Oh? What is it, old servant would like to know.”
“How fast and sharp my sword is!”
The old man narrowed his eyes and slowly said, “So, Young Master has found a stone to sharpen his sword?”
“Exactly, they are in the Neutral Grounds!”
The old man sighed, “Young Master, sharpening the sword is not wrong, but if you sharpen it too hard, the blade might break before it becomes sharp.”
Li Kuanglan sneered, “Do you think I can’t beat her?”
“Old servant dares not.”
“Full speed ahead, I’ve made up my mind!”
The old man hesitated for a moment, “Since Young Master is determined, old servant will follow. But please send a message to Her Majesty and the Lord, to avoid worrying them. If Her Majesty doesn’t hear from you, she might send palace experts to check. Then, whatever plan Young Master has, it might not go smoothly.”
Li Kuanglan snorted but did not object.
The old man breathed a sigh of relief and signaled. Soon, a stream of light shot into the sky, flying far away.
Once the light vanished, Li Kuanglan coldly said, “Accelerate, I need to reach the Neutral Grounds early!”
“Yes, Young Master.”
In the Imperial Capital, the palace gardens were in full bloom, vibrant and colorful. The sun shone warmly, but a slight chill lingered in the shade.
Queen Li sat in the garden pavilion, basking in the sun, with a white cat with silky fur on her lap, petting it gently. Her five fingers, as slender as spring onions, seemed even whiter than the cat.
The sunlight slanted into the pavilion, warming the cat, which stretched out and fell asleep.
Queen Li sipped tea, and a maid silently replaced it with fresh tea. They moved quietly, each with considerable strength.
The sound of hurried footsteps filled the garden, and a fair-faced old eunuch ran over, kneeling outside the pavilion, “Your Majesty, General Wang Zuo of the Imperial Guard requests an audience.”
“Wang Zuo? Why suddenly? It’s not proper, is it?”
“General Wang Zuo says there is a secret report from the Neutral Grounds, very important, and needs to be personally presented to you.”
Queen Li frowned, “The Neutral Grounds… Fine, let him in.”
The eunuch was startled, “Here? This, it’s not quite appropriate…”
Queen Li said indifferently, “General Wang Zuo’s status is special. Even the Emperor wouldn’t object. Bring him in.”
The eunuch did not dare to disobey and left in a hurry.
Soon, a tall, handsome young general strode in, kneeling outside the pavilion, “General Wang Zuo greets Your Majesty!”
The maidsides glanced curiously. The general was fair and clean-shaven, with a graceful demeanor, but also a hint of softness.
Queen Li gestured for him to rise, “What is so important that it requires a personal audience? You know, if it’s not that important, it could mean death.”
The general paled, “The message comes from Song Zining, the seventh son of the Song Clan. He sent the message from the Neutral Grounds, expending resources to relay it to Qinland, and then to me. He stated that this concerns the future of the Li clan and must be personally delivered to you.”
“Song Zining? I hear he’s clever.” Queen Li’s expression softened, “Bring it here.”
The general quickly produced two sealed tubes, handing them to the maids, “There are two copies, both with the same content. I did not keep any, all are here.”
Queen Li took the tubes, checking the seals, and was about to open them. An elderly eunuch emerged from the shadows, “Your Majesty, be careful of traps. Let this old servant handle it.”
Queen Li smiled, “If he’s clever, he won’t do something so foolish. Such a small tube, what harm could it possibly do?”
She twisted the tube open, pulling out a letter and reading it carefully.
The letter was short, but Queen Li read it several times, finally setting it down. She then opened the second tube, comparing the two letters, confirming they were identical. She gently rubbed the paper, and it turned to smoke, carried away by the wind.
Queen Li sat upright, her expression a mix of joy and worry, with a certain allure. After a moment, she said, “This child, daring to plot against even me.”
Hearing this, General Wang Zuo was startled, and under Queen Li’s gaze, he fell to his knees, trembling.
“General Wang Zuo, what did Song Zining offer you to do this?” Queen Li asked, her voice soft but cold.
Wang Zuo gritted his teeth, “Seventh Young Master once risked his life to save my only son. I am willing to repay this kindness with my life. I also trust that Seventh Young Master would never harm me or you.”
Queen Li smiled, “Loyal and grateful, indeed. This information is very important to me. Go to the Duke of Rong and tell him to find a position for you in the provinces.”
Wang Zuo, surprised and grateful, kowtowed, “Thank you, Your Majesty!”
Queen Li waved him away. She thought for a moment, “Bring my Heavenly Secret Jade Box.”
The old eunuch was shocked, “Your Majesty, that should not be used often!”
“It’s fine, this is worth it.”
The eunuch did not dare argue and returned with a silk-wrapped jade box.
Queen Li opened the box, revealing thin jade tablets, each inscribed with ancient characters. No one present recognized them.
Queen Li took the tablets, calculated for a moment, and scattered them. They landed with a tinkling sound, like dancing spirits.
Queen Li watched intently, not missing a detail. No one dared to disturb her. It was the first time she used the box, and her calculations were crucial. Interfering now would be fatal.
The tablets suddenly shattered, and Queen Li’s face went pale. She coughed, bending over.
Everyone was shocked, unsure if the calculation was complete, and did not dare to move.
After a long while, Queen Li straightened up, seeing blood on her hand. She cleaned it, smiling, “Heavenly secrets, the more you conceal, the clearer they become.”
She sat upright, her smile fading, exuding authority, “Clean this up and summon Eunuch Liu.”
Soon, an old eunuch with long white eyebrows arrived. He bowed, “Your Majesty, what is your command?”
Queen Li, unbothered by his lack of prostration, said, “A private matter, I need you to go to the Neutral Grounds and deliver a message to Kuanglan. After that, act as you see fit.”
She whispered the message into his ear.
Eunuch Liu nodded, “Understood, I will do my best.”
Queen Li said, “With Eunuch Liu, it will be well taken care of.”
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