Chapter 2856: Deity of Love and Beauty
Chapter 2856: Deity of Love and Beauty
Zheng Dan looked regretful. “I would have paid her a visit then, if I'd known that.”
In view of her special position as the emperor’s sister-in-law, she steered clear of affairs relating to the forbidden palace. On top of that, she had taken Zu An’s warning to heart and prepared to flee from the imperial palace when crisis struck. That prompted her to keep an even lower profile.
“It’s fine. I’ll look into it.” Zu An was suddenly curious about something. “Speaking of which, Noble Consort Tian is Sixth Elder Lilith. I wonder why her father suddenly brought another woman into the imperial palace.”
“Ah Zu, you might not know because you haven’t been in this world for too long. Other than foreign visitors like us, this world has an indigenous population as well.”
“Noble Consort Tian’s father is indigenous to this world. He's a low-ranking official who has risen to prominence because of his daughter. That’s why he feels insecure about his position, and he wants to reinforce his standing. The way he seeks to do so is by looking for beauties to please the emperor.
“Little does he know that the world has changed. The emperor has now become the Conglomerate’s First Elder, and he only has his eyes on restoring Order’s radiance to this world. He has no interest in the imperial harem at all.”
Zheng Dan felt disdain for what Noble Consort Tian’s father had done.
Zu An chuckled. “The Chongzhen Emperor in history had no interest in women, either. He was devoted to restoring Great Ming’s glory. But the more he tried, the more his poor governance ability hastened the empire’s downfall.”
“After Chen Yuanyuan was kicked out of the palace, Noble Consort Tian’s father turned his attention to Wu Sangui, an official favored by the emperor. He couldn’t have known that the emperor favors Wu Sangui because he's the Conglomerate’s Second Elder.” At this point, Zheng Dan’s expression became weird. “You told me that the Second Elder is a devoted man who steers clear of women. Why did he accept Chen Yuanyuan then?”
“That’s why I think that woman is a special one. I have to meet her in person to know what’s going on," Zu An replied.
After gathering some information from Zheng Dan, he left the palace and made his way to Wu Sangui’s mansion in the capital.
The Second Elder was the Conglomerate’s second-in-command, so his mansion was bound to be even more luxurious than that of the Wu clan in history. The winding paths and fake mountains in its garden had to have been a master’s handiwork.
There was an arrangement of scholar’s rocks that conformed to the ideals of thinness, openness, perforations, and wrinkling. These rocks had to be worth a fortune. They were specially imported from Jiangnan, which was Chen Yuanyuan’s hometown.
While an unnerving atmosphere had settled upon the capital, the Wu mansion’s garden was in full bloom. It felt like a paradise, untouched by war and bloodshed.
But this beautiful scenery paled in comparison to the woman in the courtyard. It felt like nothing more than a background to her beauty.
When the woman smiled, the courtyard lit up. When she frowned, the courtyard became dull.
There was no need for introductions. Anyone could tell at a glance that she was the number one beauty in this world, Chen Yuanyuan.
Several soldiers were kneeling before her. “Miss Chen, the capital is too dangerous now. Lord Regional Commissioner has instructed us to take you to Shanhai Pass.”
Even as they spoke, their minds were still shaken by the sight before them. They were all veterans with unwavering hearts who had survived the cruelty of war. Yet a single glance at Chen Yuanyuan’s ethereal beauty was enough to intimidate them. They dared not raise their heads, fearing that they would blaspheme her.
“I won’t go anywhere,” the woman calmly replied.
She looked at the pond, which reflected her ravishing appearance. Her eyebrows were sharp like the mountains, and her eyes glistened. Yet she carried a troubled frown.
The soldiers were alarmed. “You can’t stay here, Miss Chen! If Li Zicheng’s army breaches the capital...”
It wasn't hard to imagine the terrible plight that would befall this beautiful woman if she were captured by those brutes. For a moment, they even considered dragging her away by force. At most, they would just end their lives afterward to atone for their disrespect.
The woman shook her head. “Tell Wu Sangui that I’m not going anywhere. I am waiting for someone here.”
“But the rebel army is already right outside the capital! You’ll be in danger once the enemy stomps the capital! It’s not worth it!” the soldiers exclaimed in a panic.
The woman smiled. “It’s worth it if it’s for that person. He’ll find me.”
Her smile was so radiant that the soldiers’ minds went blank. We're dead. How can there be someone this beautiful in the world?
Knowing that he had to fulfill his mission, the commanding soldier mustered his courage and said, “Miss Chen, this is a military order. Please cooperate with us.”
“Do you intend to take me by force?” The woman looked at him.
The commanding soldier felt his throat turning dry as he replied in a fluster, “N-No, that’s not what I mean! Miss, we just don’t want you to get hurt.” His willpower wavered under her gaze.
All of a sudden, a sigh came from afar. “You shouldn’t force the fair maiden when she’s not willing to go with you.”
The woman shuddered. She shot to her feet and looked over with incredulous eyes.
The soldiers turned their heads over as well and saw a dashing man appearing from behind the fake mountain. Their eyes quivered as they asked, “Who are you?”
This was Military Commissioner Wu Sangui’s private mansion. Outsiders weren’t allowed here. Clearly, this man was up to no good. Knowing that they had to protect Miss Chen from all harm, they drew their swords and attacked the young man.
The man lifted his palm. Before the soldiers could grasp what was going on, they fainted.
The man walked over to the pond and stared at the beautiful woman in disbelief. “I’d have never thought that you were Chen Yuanyuan.”
“Ah Zu!” The woman couldn’t control her raging emotions anymore. She leaped into his arms, and the two of them embraced tightly.
The man was Zu An, and the woman was indeed the Chen Yuanyuan he was looking for. However, she was also the missing Yu Yanluo!
“I knew you’d come, Ah Zu.” Yu Yanluo’s troubled frown was replaced with joy and bliss.
“How did you know I was in this world?” So I was the one she was waiting for.
“You made quite the splash in the Universal Conglomerate. They want nothing more than to tear off your skin and crush your bones.” Yu Yanluo chuckled. “I bumped into an adorable lady while I was still in the imperial palace. She was this world’s Ninth Princess, though her true identity is the Conglomerate’s young miss. She seems to be very fond of you.”
Zu An’s face reddened. “She probably hates me now.”
He was reminded about how Yu Yanluo had calmly maneuvered among different powers in the Cultivation World despite being in a vulnerable position. One would be in for a rude awakening if one thought she was only good for her looks. Tapping into her wits and socializing prowess, she had obtained crucial intelligence from different places.
“Isabella doesn’t hate you. She was shaken up when she first heard about your betrayal, but upon calming down, she realized that you had to have your reasons for doing so.” At this point, Yu Yanluo stared at him and sighed. “You really are the bane of young ladies.”
Zu An was speechless.
He quickly changed the topic. “Cough. I returned to the Cultivation World a while back, but I heard that you vanished despite not having entered any of the Divine Palaces. Where did you go?”
“Who says I didn’t enter a Divine Palace? I went to the Deity of Love and Beauty’s Divine Palace.” Yu Yanluo’s answer caused a mini explosion in Zu An’s mind.