Slender willows sway in the breeze

Chapter 85 I have lost.
After a while, Caiping came out and gave her a brief look: "Come in."

Liu Sijun followed Caiping in with steady steps, but as soon as she stepped into the hall, a strong sense of oppression hit her, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

The Empress of a nation, in such a lowly manner, resorted to such underhanded methods. Liu Sijun suppressed the metallic taste in her throat and walked forward slowly.

The palace was brightly lit by candles, and the gold and silver utensils and countless treasures around it shone brilliantly in the candlelight, but none of this could compare to the dazzling radiance of the empress sitting high on the phoenix throne.

"Liu Sijun, the resident alchemist of Yougu Palace, greets Your Majesty the Empress."

Today, Liu Sijun wore an elegant moon-colored robe, the hem of which swayed gently with her steps. Her hair was adorned with only a simple white jade hairpin, making her look very elegant, yet her stunning beauty was undeniable.

Liu Sijun bowed but did not pay his respects.

The Empress narrowed her eyes slightly and said in a calm tone, "Get up. I'm sure you know why I summoned you here today."

Liu Sijun raised her eyes: "I don't understand what Your Majesty is saying. Please enlighten me."

The Empress sneered, slowly rose from her throne, and walked down step by step, her cold gaze falling on her: "Alchemist Liu, I heard that you took His Majesty's pulse on the day you first entered the palace."

Liu Sijun's heart tightened.

Now she understood what the Empress meant by sending her here and giving her a hard time for no reason.

"Your Majesty, His Majesty's pulse is normal."

The Empress walked to Liu Sijun's side. She was not as tall as Liu Sijun, but with her tall phoenix crown, she was very imposing: "Oh? Nothing unusual... But His Majesty has been feeling tired and listless lately. Is this considered nothing unusual? Alchemist Liu, could it be that your alchemy skills are not good enough?"

"Your Majesty's questioning of my alchemy skills is tantamount to questioning Marquis Molin's judgment."

Upon hearing the name Marquis Molin, the Empress's expression shifted in a complex and unpredictable manner.

Suddenly, the Empress raised a brow with her phoenix eyes: "Since you are so skilled in alchemy, then you are deceiving me."

Liu Sijun bowed again, his face full of sincerity, and said, "Your Majesty is wise, Sijun would never dare to deceive you, but as I just said, His Majesty's health is indeed fine. As for your statement that His Majesty is feeling tired, such a situation is inevitable for someone of his age."

The Empress narrowed her eyes slightly, scrutinizing Liu Sijun's expression as if trying to determine the truthfulness of her words.

After a moment, she slowly spoke again: "Lord Liu, I will trust you this time, but don't underestimate my methods. No matter how you look at it, the Longevity Palace is still in the inner palace. You are a smart man, and there are some things that I don't need to say so clearly, right?"

Liu Sijun thought to himself, "The Empress is determined to find out something from me today."

But how could he dare to casually reveal that Bei Chenyao was nearing his end?

Liu Sijun's palms were sweaty, and her back was drenched in cold sweat. She lowered her eyes and quickly considered the matter before speaking: "Your Majesty, His Majesty's health is indeed fine. He only needs to take the Qi-Nourishing Pill as usual. If any new developments occur in the future, I will report to Your Majesty immediately."

Is that alright with you?

The hall fell silent for a moment, with only the occasional flickering of the candlelight.

After a long silence, the Empress spoke again, her voice carrying a deeper meaning: "I hope Alchemist Liu will remember what she said today and not break her promise. Alright, you may leave now. As for what you said, I will send someone to verify it."

Liu Sijun was granted a general amnesty.

They bowed respectfully and slowly withdrew from Luanming Palace.

Stepping out of the palace gates, a biting wind blew, and Liu Sijun felt chilled to the bone. Realizing this, she quickly mobilized her spiritual energy to dispel the cold, then flew away from Luanming Palace on her sword. Only after returning to Yangshou Palace and closing the palace doors did Liu Sijun dare to relax.

This confrontation with the Empress made her acutely aware of the complexity and danger of the situation within the palace.

Inside the Yangxin Hall.

Bei Chenyao and Gu Changzhou are playing chess.

This is where the Emperor reviewed memorials and rested.

Located on the left-hand corridor of the main hall, it resembles a giant gemstone, radiating dazzling light. The walls are constructed from a special crystal called Nine Heavens Purple Crystal.

This crystal can change into various dazzling colors due to the fluctuations of the sun and spiritual energy. Moreover, the Nine Heavens Purple Crystal has extremely strong defensive capabilities. It does not require rune protection and can automatically identify the identity of the person entering. If someone with ill intentions approaches, the person inside will immediately sense it.

The palace floor resembles a flowing liquid amethyst, yet possesses the warm, smooth texture of jade. The ceiling is inlaid with countless luminous spirit beads, which, upon closer inspection, are arranged according to celestial constellations.

It can both illuminate the entire Hall of Mental Cultivation and assist in cultivation.

The table where the two players played chess was made from a single piece of radiant ice jade, which was believed to have the effects of calming the mind, nourishing the body, and warding off evil spirits.

The pieces are red and black, and the two players are going back and forth. The board is almost full, but the game is still undecided.

At this moment, a man dressed in a black Taoist robe appeared and whispered, "Your Majesty, we have just received news that the Empress summoned Alchemist Liu from Yangshou Palace to Luanming Palace. Alchemist Liu came out about a quarter of an hour later."

This wasn't the first time Gu Changzhou had met him.

He was a cultivator recruited by Bei Chenyao named Min Rui. He was highly skilled and had reached the Integration Stage. His background and appearance were unknown to anyone in the palace except Bei Chenyao himself.

Upon hearing this, Bei Chenyao paused, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes. He slammed the chess piece onto the board with a "thud": "Hmph, the Empress is getting more and more capable. Alchemist Liu has only been here a few days and she's already being targeted. What is she up to now?"

Min Rui waited quietly to the side, without saying a word.

Gu Changzhou spoke up, saying, "Your Majesty, you were going to lose anyway. Now that this has been interrupted, how can we continue the game?"

Bei Chenyao snorted again.

"I am angry, aren't you afraid of incurring my wrath?"

Bei Chenyao said, "Even if I lose, Cao De, go and bring that Primordial Purple Gold Alchemy Furnace to Marquis Molin."

At first glance, the Taigu Zijin Danlu is unremarkable. Those who do not know its value would only think it is an ordinary purple-gold furnace, no more than three feet tall, with a rounded body and no excessive decoration.

However, a closer look reveals its extraordinary nature. The surface of the furnace appears smooth, but in fact, runes flow subtly within it. What's remarkable is that these runes are not engraved on the furnace body, but rather that the furnace itself possesses a mysterious power contained within the Purple Gold Furnace, which causes the runes to appear.

It cannot be touched by hand, but when an alchemist gets close, he will feel the attraction of that mysterious power, as if the alchemy furnace has its own thoughts and soul.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Gu Changzhou made a hand seal, put the alchemy furnace into the container, and left the Hall of Mental Cultivation without saying a word.

He was indeed a favorite minister, but he wasn't someone whose opinions were always up to him.