A Dream of Southern Blossoms

of human skin hanging on a clothesline, it drifted up from the ground, its toes almost leaving the surface. It hung there so faintly, so ethereal.I swallowed nervously. She hadn't a clue what it was,...In front of the government office, ghosts flickered and people thronged. Behind it, half a courtyard was wide and quiet.

We were ushered into the main hall. Old Wang, trembling, bowed deeply and then began to mumble an apology.

Jiang Qiyun remained calm and collected, waiting for Lao Wangye to finish speaking before smiling and saying, "This time, if she hadn't encountered those two ghost messengers, who knows how much human resentment that little demon would have consumed."

He glanced at me, and Old Wang's gaze also fell upon me.

"My Lord Emperor, those two ghost messengers came during the time when the Judge was temporarily in charge. I thought that since the Judge had checked the ghost register, there was no need to pay them any further attention... You know, the capital city has a vast population throughout history. I'm simply too busy to meticulously check the death time of every single person, and besides, it's impossible to do so. The Book of Life and Death isn't that precise..."

Old Wang was frowning and trying hard to pass the buck.

"Then how do you explain that the people you protect, who set a trap in a certain place in the capital city, have harmed many innocent lives"

Old Wang's eyes twitched: "My subordinate doesn't know how this matter relates to Zhu Weiti. Wasn't Zhu Weiti confined by Your Lordship, the Emperor"

Jiang Qiyun squinted and smiled, listening to him continue.

“My subordinate only knew that it was the haunt of a fox spirit’s ghost. Such things are common in the human world. My subordinate thought it was just human grievances and therefore did not interfere too much… As for the two ghost messengers, my subordinate speculates that they were perhaps bribed by Zhu Weiti's descendants, which is why they concealed the truth!”

At this point, he bowed to me and said: "Little Empress, you took the ghost messengers away. I wonder how the interrogation in the Yin Mountain Jail is going These two devils are deceitful and treacherous, their hearts deserve punishment. The Emperor should punish them severely."

My God....

This old man's skills at shifting the blame are truly remarkable!

If my older brother were here, he would be awestruck by these words.

You're so shameless!

Jiang Qiyun had expected this guy wouldn't admit it. He tapped his fingers on the armrest and said lightly, "The old King doesn't know anything when asked three times. It seems his health is really failing. Perhaps he should consider abdication..."

The old man trembled as he bowed, saying: "I have held this position for four hundred years, and now I am very old. I hope Your Majesty will agree to choose another wise person to take over..."

"Four hundred years of incense at the ancestral temple, Lao Wangye is so unattached There aren't many deities in the world who can allow the ancestral temple and the common people to worship them. Even this seat doesn't have that influence. Would Lao Wangye be willing to yield" Jiang Qyun looked at him with a half-smile.

The old man's white eyebrows twitched slightly, and he chuckled dryly: “Your Majesty the Emperor, born a god, possesses boundless divine power and lives for thousands of years. How could he care about this mortal incense No matter how much incense my subordinates receive, they are merely dull-witted individuals unable to reach higher realms.”

I couldn't help but speak up: "Old Wang Ye, since I stepped into the imperial capital, I've found that there are many places in the imperial capital where the yin and yang qi are chaotic. Besides the fox demon spirits and the headless barbarians unearthed from the northwest, these things have a considerable impact on the mortal world. As you are a local official of the underworld in the capital city, how can you allow these things to happen unchecked"

"The atmosphere in the capital city is chaotic, which will affect the national fortune, it's the responsibility of the underworld to rectify yin and yang and follow natural order. Shouldn't those places where dark and sinister corpse qi gathers be handled by the underworld instead of ordinary people"

“Your subordinates are disloyal and rebellious, openly defying authority. This is a direct result of your own negligence in fulfilling your responsibilities as their leader!”

"Now that the Emperor has personally come to inspect, you shirk responsibility with such skill. Was there no premeditation"

"One of those two ghost messengers was a demon. As the local official for so many years, you didn't notice You claim incompetence and oversight, explaining it with just your words Didn't you know all along and simply let things slide Or did you profit from this"

Old Wang was stunned.

He hadn't expected these words to come from me, but rather from Jiang Qiyun.

This created a rather delicate situation.

He was going to explain himself, but Jiang Qiyun just smirked and listened from the side, watching his performance.

He suddenly sat up and knelt down with a thump, startling me into a reflexively standing up.

I'm not used to people kneeling down! Even at this age, it's really cutting my lifespan short!

Jiang Qiyun grabbed my wrist and pressed me down in the seat, signaling me to stay calm.

"Little Imperial Noble Consort—"

The old man looked heartbroken, his voice trembling as he said: "The capital has always been a place of chaotic energy. It's not that I haven't been doing anything, it's just that the emperor's aura and the presence of numerous talented individuals have caused this."

"In the capital, one should pay even more attention to governing through inaction. If an old man meddles in the affairs of yin and yang, he will only disrupt the natural order."

“As an old man, I am senile and forgetful. I have failed to live up to the expectations of Your Majesty, and I have no words to defend myself. One mistake can overshadow a hundred good deeds. I admit my fault and accept punishment. But I truly had nothing to do with that little demon. They are just low-level imps. I have hardly ever met them alone -”

I interrupted him and said, "If there is, there is. If there isn't, there isn't. What does 'almost none' mean How can the Emperor trust such an ambiguous attitude"

After the two ghost messengers' identities were exposed, what remedial measures did you take Did you investigate their whereabouts Did you look into their past actions

He was speechless, staring blankly at Jiang Qiyun, his eyes pleading for help.

Please, help

You old geezer, what do you mean Making it sound like I'm bullying you!

Jiang Qiyun raised an eyebrow and said, "Old King, she doesn't find your words persuasive. You still want to fob me off like this... I have governed the underworld for over two thousand years, you think these words... Humph..."

The old man's eyes flashed with a hint of nervousness. Perhaps he had a psychological advantage, after all, Jiang Qiyun hadn't bothered with him for so many years. But now that he was truly paying attention, the old man realized his world wasn't as big as he thought.

He probably hated me. I wasn't on the Book of Life, and he didn't know I was going to Lao Qi's place.

This is just an ordinary, unremarkable wronged soul seeking revenge. I accidentally stumbled upon it, causing the little demon to prematurely devour its energy and flee.

Those inferior demons lack heart and pain, possessing only instinct. How could they possibly discern the situation

After half an hour, after so many years without a single mistake, the result was that he made a blunder and presented it to Jiang Qiyun.

“The young mistress is right to admonish me! This old man is senile and incompetent. Thanks to the young mistress's reminder, this old man has not been idle. He has indeed sent people to investigate, but there have been no reports yet… This old man will have the two ghost messengers bring the records over for the young mistress to examine. Please, young mistress, wait a moment… Ah, if you are bored, feel free to walk around the back garden. The front yard is rather messy.”

I purse my lips, this place is dead and dreary, it's creepy to look at. Eat your fill before you even think of walking around!

Old Wang saw the disdain on my face and immediately said, “It was my oversight, my oversight! My Lady is with child, naturally she shouldn't be sitting idly in such a dull place. The other courtyard has a beautiful environment, why not move there”

You, big guy!!

Aren't you an old fool!

You seem to know quite a bit about gossip!

Jiang Qiyun chuckled softly, looking at me triumphantly —ile asleep... Are you made of water Where does all that tears come from" A wicked voice chuckled."...you, uh...cough cough..." I calmed myself down, took a breath, and asked, "Who are you...what shoul...