Two hours later, Qi Yuan was panting for breath.
Once he was certain no one was following him, he lay down in a valley.
"This isn't a game, it's a matter of life and death!"
After killing over a dozen of creatures in the desolate place, hundreds, if not thousands more surrounded him.
He had to summon considerable strength to escape.
Qi Yuan sat up, his face etched with confusion, "How did the rest of them detect me?"
He was puzzled.
"Could it be that all of those creatures share the same sense of perception?"
Qi Yuan thought of the Bug Race from an anime he had seen.
The setting in that anime suggested that the Bug Race was controlled by the mother, all functioning under the same system.
"If that's true, I'm in trouble!"
If that was the case, Qi Yuan's strategy to divide and conquer would be ineffective.
He was in deep trouble.
This game was proving more difficult than he had anticipated.
"Should I ask Jin Li for help?
Perhaps, she might have some gaming strategies to share."
Thinking this, Qi Yuan sent a message, "There are too many creatures in the restricted area.
Today, I saw a forest full of creatures, all wearing stomachers. The sight was breathtaking. If I could capture this on a smartphone and upload it online, it would definitely go viral!"
"While hunting these creatures today, I encountered some problems."
Qi Yuan narrated the problems he ran into and sent the message.
"Do you have any strategies that could help me, anything would be greatly appreciated!"
…
"Prime Minister, the emperor has returned to the palace," a man in a long robe paid his respects, "The people we sent are gone."
Sima Ting was playing chess. Hearing the news, he laughed and ignored the man in the long robe, instead addressing his opponent, "Are you certain you want to place your piece there? By taking one of my pieces you are placing yourself in a checkmate."
The official, hearing this, jokingly complimented, "I don't play as well as you. If I can take one of your pieces, I will."
Sima Ting laughed heartily hearing this.
The current Queen Jin Li was like a cornered piece on the chessboard with nowhere to go.
Fighting even when cornered, her demise was only a matter of time.
The official seized the moment to say, "Six days later, once Lady Qin is defeated, we will launch our attack. By then, Nanqian will be in your hands, Prime Minister."
Sima Ting laughed even more at this.
True, Nanqian was already his, but the feeling would be different once it was done by legal means, wouldn't it?
…
Jin Li was in high spirits.
She had just met Aunt Qin and given her the medicinal herb, Jiu Hua Qi Luo.
With this medicinal herb, Aunt Qin's injuries should no longer be a concern.
Moreover, Aunt Qin might even step into the realm of the royals!
This was undoubtedly uplifting news for Jin Li.
In this world where might is right, having one more royal level powerhouse increased her chance of dealing with Sima Ting.
And all of this was made possible because of Qi Yuan.
Thinking about Qi Yuan, her emotions were complicated.
Just then, Linglong Yuxi began to shine again.
She took out Linglong Yuxi, her joy increased seeing the content within. She was reading it carefully, more carefully than she would a memorial, word by word.
When she read about the danger Qi Yuan encountered in the restricted area, her heart missed a beat.
When she read about the forest in the restricted area filled with belly-banded creatures, she couldn't help but smile.
"Information related to the restricted area?"
When she saw Qi Yuan asking for help, she became engaged immediately.
"I'll start looking for information about the restricted area right away.
Be careful until then."
"Oh my, thank you for caring!"
Qi Yuan's response was quick.
"Let me tell you, the creatures in the restricted area are so peculiar..."
Qi Yuan kept talking incessantly.
Jin Li was listening attentively.
At this moment, she was no longer the queen, and to her, Qi Yuan was not the mysterious and powerful figure, they were just old friends, old friends who could share their inner thoughts.
An hour later, Jin Li, frowning, looked at the book on the jade throne, "Is the record on the Forbidden Robe so little?"
There was only a thin booklet before her, containing scant information about the Forbidden Robe, only spanning a few pages.
Moreover, this information was commonplace, and it obviously didn't help Qi Yuan.
"Summon Dong Shishun, the Grand Scholar of Wenyuan Pavilion," Jin Li said.
Dong Shishun, the Grand Scholar of Wenyuan Pavilion, was one of the most learned men in Nanqian.
Dong Shishun, too, was on Jin Li's side. She hoped to learn about the Forbidden Robe from him.
Before long, Dong Shishun, the Grand Scholar of Wenyuan Pavilion, appeared in the Phoenix Palace.
Jin Li went straight to the point, "Scholar Dong, do you know anything about the Forbidden Robe, especially about the demon of the Forbidden Robe?"
At these words, Dong Shishun was taken aback.
The Forbidden Robe was one of the four prohibitions on the Wangyue Continent.
All were located thousands of miles away from the capital of Nanqian.
Why is the queen asking about it?
"Your Majesty, I don't know," Dong Shishun answered honestly.
The Forbidden Robe was too far away; it was indeed rare to find information about it.
Jin Li felt a bit disappointed upon hearing this.
Was she unable to help Qi Yuan?
However, Dong Shishun seemed to be hesitating over something, and finally spoke, "Your servant ..."
"Feel free to say what's on your mind."
"At Duke Yu's mansion, there might be records about the Forbidden Robe.
The old Duke had been to the Forbidden Robe in his youth." Dong Shishun knew that Duke Yu's mansion had detailed records about the Forbidden Robe.
He hesitated because Duke Yu's relationship with the Queen was very bad, even hostile.
The Duke's daughter was the former noble consort, while the Queen's mother was the former empress.
The noble consort and the empress held grudges against each other, and the noble consort eventually died under suspicious circumstances in the palace.
Duke Yu blamed the empress for this.
Subsequently, he started hating the Queen as well.
If Jin Li asked for the book, she would certainly face difficulties.
Jin Li was aware of this, but she was still delighted to have found a lead.
She said, swishing her sleeve, "I will go and pay a visit to Duke Yu myself!"
She didn't have many people she would confide in, so sending someone else to ask for the book from Duke Yu would definitely raise suspicions. It would be better if she went personally.
It didn't matter if she faced some difficulties.
As long as she found the information about the Forbidden Robe, it would be worth it.
...
Late at night, Jin Li left Duke Yu's mansion, clutching a book.
She felt a bit uncomfortable in her legs from kneeling for too long, but her face was full of joy.
The head of the Imperial Guards, Hua Xian, was supporting Jin Li. Her eyes were filled with anger, "Duke Yu is simply outrageous! He knows about your old leg injury and still deliberately made things difficult for you. Despite Your Majesty's noble birth, you had to pay respects at Consort Xi's mausoleum for six hours!"
Hua Xian was both angry and helpless.
In the reign of the previous emperor, the royal power had already fallen and had been usurped by Sima Ting.
Afterward, Sima Ting wiped out the royal family and helped a young girl ascend to the throne.
Neither the civil nor the military officials took Jin Li, the empress, seriously.
Seeing the queen kneel for several hours made her extremely distressed.
For an ordinary person, kneeling for six hours is an agonizing ordeal.
Those who are used to comfort and luxury probably would have fainted long back.
Even an ordinary grown-up would find it hard to bear.
Only when you have truly knelt for six hours, without moving, do you understand the painful feeling.
While Queen Jin Li was capable, she was not very strong, and she had some injury on her legs, otherwise, she wouldn't have made a fool of herself at her coronation.
Kneeling for six hours was indeed a difficult ordeal for her.
"It doesn't matter; at least I got what I wanted." Jin Li, hugging her book tightly, felt satisfied.
PS: The title of this book really sucks, might change it tomorrow. If there are any readers out there, please pay attention and don't get confused.
Lastly, please continue reading! Please vote for a recommendation, thank you!