Chapter 166: The Southern Tour, Winds of Change
Since awakening, Luo Xue hadn’t doubted her identity as Princess Xue.
Because everyone treated her as the little princess of the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty.
Even though her memories were fragmented, even though she finally had biological parents in this life, even with all the unusual things in this life…
It wasn’t until she met the Immortal Emperor that Luo Xue vaguely sensed something amiss about his attitude.
It was a deliberate and forced affection.
The Immortal Emperor wasn’t a good actor. Luo Xue could tell that the love in his eyes wasn’t for her.
But when he called her “Xue’er,” the emotions he expressed seemed genuine…
And most importantly, the mysterious mortal.
A mere mortal, secretly entering the princess’s bedroom was one thing, but to even enter the imperial study was illogical.
Unless this mortal was the Immortal Emperor’s daughter, the little princess of the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty.
But the little princess was Luo Xue herself…
Or rather… there were two little princesses.
This bold guess arose in Luo Xue’s mind, but she needed confirmation.
The Immortal Emperor’s sudden utterance of “Xue’er,” his subtle expression, finally confirmed Luo Xue’s suspicions. The Xue’er in the Immortal Emperor’s heart was someone else.
She… might not be the real Princess Xue, but just a replacement.
This bold guess overturned everything Luo Xue had believed in this life, yet it strangely fit all the suspicious points.
Luo Xue quietly read the ancient texts, her expression serious.
So, why was the real little princess hiding? Was it related to Imperial Concubine Min being imprisoned in the Cold Palace?
Luo Xue clearly remembered that the first thing Concubine Min did upon seeing her was to ask about her health.
Could it be that the original little princess suffered from some incurable illness and couldn’t be seen in public, and for some reason, this couldn’t be revealed, so they found a replacement?
But why her?
Luo Xue thought of her current appearance, different from her previous lives, carrying a fragile beauty that evoked pity.
Was it because they looked similar?
So, what was the real little princess’s current condition?
And as a replacement, to what extent would she be used?
“Father, can I take these two books back with me?” Luo Xue looked up at the Immortal Emperor with pleading eyes. “I might not… be able to finish them here.”
“…Of course.”
The Immortal Emperor paused and nodded slightly.
“If you want, you can take any book from the imperial study.”
“Thank you, Father,” Luo Xue’s face lit up with joy. “Can I come here again in the future?”
The Immortal Emperor’s breath hitched. He wanted to refuse.
But just then, Xue’er beside him woke up. She looked at the Immortal Emperor with innocent eyes, a pang of pain in his heart.
He couldn’t refuse the request from this identical face…
“No problem, as long as it’s something Xue’er wants, Father… can give you anything.”
When he said this, the Immortal Emperor was looking at the sleepy Xue’er beside him.
Perhaps thinking that Luo Xue was just a mortal child, the Immortal Emperor clearly wasn’t paying attention. This huge oversight didn’t escape Luo Xue’s notice.
Combined with the strong aura of the mysterious mortal, Luo Xue was almost certain that the real Princess Xue was sitting beside her, just invisible.
Perhaps it was because the Immortal Emperor couldn’t face his daughter’s replacement directly, yet had to act lovingly, that led to this strange situation.
Luo Xue felt that it was time to leave. Staying any longer would be too uncomfortable, so she stood up and said,
“Father, I want to go back and study these books. When Father returns from your southern tour, you can see this child’s progress.”
“…Go.” The Immortal Emperor closed his eyes wearily. “Father… is also tired.”
Luo Xue bowed slightly and left the imperial study with the books.
Only after Luo Xue left did Xue’er fully awaken, but the white-haired girl who looked just like her was already gone, a melancholic expression on her face.
“Xue’er…”
“She… is a good person, right?” Xue’er rested her chin on her hand, looking in the direction Luo Xue had left. “She’s… my ideal. If only Xue’er could be like her…”
“No, Xue’er, no one can compare to you,” the Immortal Emperor said softly, “Even if her appearance is almost identical to yours… she can’t compare to you, my Xue’er.”
Even with the identical appearance, Luo Xue’s slightly distant and polite demeanor, her resolute and independent personality, was completely different from Xue’er’s.
These differences constantly reminded the Immortal Emperor that they were two different people.
Luo Xue wasn’t Xue’er, nor was she a replacement.
The thought that if Xue’er died, the only Xue’er he would see for the rest of his life would be a replacement pained the Immortal Emperor deeply.
Just as the Empress had said, in this game of chess between them, the Immortal Emperor’s biggest mistake was developing feelings for the little princess.
Xue’er was still yearning for Luo Xue, even though her illness was about to take her life.
Soon…
It would all be over soon…
…
“Princess Xue returned to her palace after less than half a day in the imperial study.”
The etiquette official lowered her head and reported respectfully to the Empress.
The Empress was tending to the flower buds that had finally appeared after months of waiting. The few blossoms on the bare branches seemed to have brightened her mood.
“Oh, it seems Dugu Di isn’t very satisfied with his new daughter.” The Empress waved her hand, and the scissors formed from spiritual energy dissipated. “It’s fine, just find another one. I think that Luo Xue from the southern tribes is quite good. They both have white hair anyway.”
“Your Majesty, do you mean…”
The etiquette official’s expression was filled with surprise.
“Oh, the current one… she’ll probably die soon.” The Empress waved her hand dismissively. “I know Dugu Di’s personality very well. Once Dugu Xue dies, he’ll definitely kill a few replacements. I’ve already prepared several, just to wear him down.”
“Why…”
The etiquette official couldn’t understand, her face filled with shock.
“Because in this game of chess, Princess Xue is just an insignificant pawn. What’s important is Concubine Min.” The Empress said slowly,
“Concubine Min can neither live nor die. She can only be imprisoned in the Cold Palace, clinging to her last hope—that her daughter is still alive.”
“If the Immortal Emperor hadn’t developed any feelings, he could have continued using replacements. As long as Concubine Min believed her daughter was still alive, it would be fine. Unfortunately…”
From the very beginning, what Dugu Di truly needed was Concubine Min, not her daughter.
It was a pity that Dugu Di could be ruthless towards Concubine Min, but he was soft-hearted towards Xue’er.
The Empress glanced at the etiquette official, her gaze softening slightly.
“Wan’er, you didn’t have to know about this. I didn’t intend to tell you… You have a kindness that shouldn’t exist within the imperial family.”
If the etiquette official hadn’t encountered Xue’er in the bedroom and hadn’t asked the Empress about this, she would only have wondered why Princess Xue would occasionally become dazed and confused, and after recovering from her illness, seemed like a different person.
For the Empress, subtly altering someone’s memories and appearance was easy, and there was more than one person with white hair.
“However… it’s also troublesome to let Dugu Di keep changing them. I quite like the current Princess Xue.” The Empress pondered for a moment. “Should I send her to the Nangong Sacred Land? Ling’er is already on her way.”
This was a rare, pure human. Perhaps she was related to the legendary ancestral land.
The fact that she could easily construct formations was enough to prove her human identity.
“Has she realized that she’s a replacement?”
The Empress suddenly thought of this and turned to ask.
The etiquette official pondered, recalling Princess Xue’s recent behavior, then shook her head.
“Probably… not yet.”
During this time, Princess Xue seemed to be focused only on formations, nothing else unusual.
A sixteen-year-old girl shouldn’t have such deep thoughts. Perhaps the Empress was just overthinking it.
“I’m still a bit uneasy about this…”
The Empress pondered for a moment, then said, “Before Ling’er arrives at the Imperial Sacred Land, don’t let her leave the palace, not even to the Imperial Capital.”
“As you command, Your Majesty.”
The etiquette official bowed and slowly left the courtyard.
The Empress returned to her recliner and sat down.
Her gaze extended into the distance, seemingly towards the imperial study.
“Southern tour…”
“So eager to get rid of the Nangong clan?”
The Great Qin Immortal Dynasty didn’t belong to the Immortal Emperor alone. He had received help from many ancient clans during his conquests, although their initial purpose was only to use him to eliminate their rivals.
The establishment of such a vast Immortal Dynasty was an accident.
However, because of this, even within the dynasty, the Immortal Emperor was still restricted by the ancient clans, especially the Nangong clan, who had contributed the most during the conquests.
If the Immortal Emperor wanted to break free from these restrictions, there were many things he had to do.
First, he had to break through to the Saint Realm, to be on par with the reclusive elders of the ancient clans. Second, he had to unite the tribes in the southern barbarian lands, forming another powerful force within the dynasty to counter the ancient clans.
Concubine Min was the key to solving the Immortal Emperor’s cultivation problem, and the recent unification of the southern barbarian lands gave him hope.
The ancient clans, represented by the Nangong clan, currently only held the card of Concubine Min. The southern barbarian lands were the key to the Immortal Emperor breaking free from their control.
But would it be that simple?
The Empress noticed that the flower buds she had carefully tended to seemed to have withered slightly. She didn’t use any techniques, but pondered.
Suddenly, as if realizing something, she said softly,
“Perhaps… I need to add some fuel to the fire…”
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