Chapter 89: Saying No, Meaning Yes

I want it!

The words burst out of Xiang Ning’s mouth almost before she could think.

Her breathing quickened, and so did the frantic beating of her heart.

On her lovely cheeks, an inexplicable heat rose and lingered.

“Ahhh... why am I so unable to keep my composure?”

“What if the thing sent by that treacherous old fox is meant to harm me?”

“That’s right! I do not want his gift. I only want to expose whatever wicked scheme he is plotting and see what new trick he intends to play on me. Hmph!”

Xiang Ning muttered on and on, working hard to give herself an excuse to accept it.

This was the third day since Xiang Ning had been abducted to the Pure Land of Brahma Sound.

She had raged, sunk into gloom, broken down, suffered. On those sleepless nights, she had no idea how many times she had secretly wept.

In short, Xiang Ning had never smiled.

But at this very moment, as she enumerated the crimes of the treacherous minister Fan Li, a sweet smile curved her lips.

A small white box floated quietly before her.

This style of gift wrapping belonged only to the world Fan Li had come from.

Xiang Ning knew it was a present, yet she pouted with exaggerated pride.

“With such crude wrapping, does the Fan family not possess a thousand-year-old box of golden sandalwood or a supreme spiritual box of purple rosewood? To send a gift to me with such little care—truly, the very nature of a treacherous minister.”

Though her mouth was sharp, her hands were not slow.

She hurriedly took the white gift box into her arms, opened it, and at once revealed the Dust-Edge Necklace, Yin.

“This is...?”

Xiang Ning had never seen a necklace of this style before.

The design of the Dust-Edge Necklace, Yin, did not belong to this world at all.

Its beauty lay in utter simplicity.

The main body of the necklace was like a drop of celestial water plucked from the heavens by an immortal.

Its surface was smooth as a mirror, reflecting Xiang Ning’s face, which was even more beautiful than the necklace itself.

She could not help thinking with admiration, This necklace is so much like the tears I have shed these past few days. Could it be that he knows I have suffered in the Pure Land, and so specially sent me this gift like a teardrop?

Unconsciously, Xiang Ning held it in both hands and pressed it lightly against her chest.

As if by doing so, hearts might come into communion...

“Hey.”

“Hey, hey.”

“Can you hear me?”

“Your Majesty, can you hear me? It is Fan Li.”

Suddenly!

A familiar voice actually came from within the necklace, startling Xiang Ning so badly she nearly jumped.

The old fox is there?! Where are you? Why can I speak with you?

Xiang Ning’s voice was bright with delight, though her manner of address remained awkward from habit.

Erm... Fan Li listened and felt a little strained.

Was giving half of such a precious system reward to Xiang Ning actually a mistake?

“Your Majesty, I am still in Pengcheng. The necklace you received is a kind of... a kind of communication artifact, which makes it convenient for me to speak with you at any time.”

Fan Li gave a brief explanation, then was about to ask about Xiang Ning’s situation.

Yet from the necklace came Xiang Ning’s slightly disappointed voice.

“Oh, so it is only a communication artifact?”

Fan Li: ???

What else would it be?

Then he remembered another function of the Dust-Edge Necklace and added, “Besides communication, this artifact also offers protection. It can block one fatal attack on Your Majesty’s behalf.”

Damn it, women are hard to appease. But this ought to satisfy her, shouldn’t it?

“Oh.”

The voice from the Dust-Edge Necklace still sounded listless.

Fan Li was speechless and did not know what to say.

After a brief silence, Xiang Ning suddenly spoke again.

“Fan Li.”

“Mm?”

Strange. Not an official title, such as chancellor, Duke of Jin, or imperial father.

Nor the insults of “old fox” or “treacherous minister.”

She called him by name?

Fan Li was full of question marks.

“After you learned that I had been abducted, did you worry about me?”

“Of course! Though I could not rescue Your Majesty immediately, I have already been making preparations. Besides using the Dust-Edge Necklace to keep in contact with Your Majesty, I also persuaded Chang Le—no, the empress—to ask the sovereign of the Nine-Tailed Fox Realm to look after Your Majesty...”

Fan Li spoke at length, and Xiang Ning did not interrupt him. It was as though she were listening with full attention.

Only when Fan Li finally finished did Xiang Ning softly answer with a gentle hum.

“Thank you, Fan Li.”

“Erm, you’re welcome.”

Fan Li was truly not used to Xiang Ning speaking to him in such a near-tender tone.

Both of them sensed a subtle strangeness, and once again fell silent together.

After a long while, Xiang Ning finally said, “My elder brother Xiang Chong should be about to ascend the throne and proclaim himself emperor, shouldn’t he?”

Fan Li sneered. “According to reliable information, Xiang Chong has already ordered ten brand-new dragon robes to be made. Afraid of being assassinated, he has been hiding in the inner palace all this time, and he has ordered the palace servants to address him as ‘His Ten Thousand Years.’”

“He is that anxious?”

Xiang Ning’s tone was very calm, showing no sign of anger at all.

Overnight, she had grown a great deal.

She now understood that although Xiang Chong was her elder brother by the same mother but different father, and though his cultivation was slightly higher than hers, in the whole affair he was merely an insignificant figure.

Xiang Chong was only the banner by which the Pure Land of Brahma Sound claimed legitimacy, a puppet through which Empress Dowager Li indirectly held the power of the State of Chu.

“How are the empress and the imperial noble consort? Are they all right?” Xiang Ning asked again.

“Very well, Your Majesty, please rest assured.”

“After the empress, Liu Man, returned to the palace, she immediately claimed illness, shut the gates of the Pepper Chamber Palace, and refused to see anyone. I heard that the empress dowager and Xiang Chong both hoped to meet the empress, but were refused.”

“The imperial noble consort, Lu Fubao, also followed the empress’s example, sealing off the Yongning Palace where she lives and claiming illness so as not to see anyone.”

Xiang Ning nodded at this.

Since she had disguised herself as a man, she naturally felt some guilt toward Princess Chang Le and Lu Fubao.

“They won’t have trouble because of this, will they?” she asked again.

Fan Li smiled. “The empress and the imperial noble consort both come from powerful families. With just Xiang Chong and the empress dowager, they would not dare do anything to them.”

Xiang Ning then asked about the court and the common people, and Fan Li answered one by one.

When she learned that Fan Li, relying on the power of the Fan family, had minimized the negative impact of the succession, she was greatly satisfied.

“So it turns out that with the Fan family in Great Chu, things are truly as steady as Mount Tai.”

If this had been before, Xiang Ning might have felt jealous or wary of Fan Li.

But now, she felt only relief.

When she could no longer shelter the rivers, mountains, people, and common folk of Great Chu, Fan Li could stand in for her and bear the pressure.

“Your Majesty, tomorrow is the day the new sovereign formally takes the throne and hears petitions in court. Is there anything you want me to do?” Fan Li asked.

Xiang Ning was stunned when she heard this.

As long as she spoke, no matter what request she made, Fan Li would agree to it?

What an odd feeling... Suddenly, Xiang Ning felt an impulse to play a prank.

After pondering for a long time, she finally said slowly, “Fan Li, what do you think you are to the Great Chu dynasty?”

Fan Li was somewhat surprised.

He had not expected Xiang Ning to become so mature overnight that she could ask such a profound question.

He did not hesitate, nor did he evade it.

“I hold great power over court and country in Great Chu. Though I pretend to stand beneath one man, in truth I stand above ten thousand!”

This was the first time Fan Li had admitted it so openly.

His voice was domineering, overbearing, yet carried an air of complete rightness!

As Xiang Ning listened, she even found the words incomparably pleasing to the ear.

“In the days I am gone, you must keep on like this, all right?”