My Taoist buddy has practiced surrogacy

Chapter 1425 Earthy flavor
Ling Xue looked at him, her eyes filled with determination: "If we're going to die, we'll die together."

She took out her lipstick and drew a crooked "Ling" character on Zhou Xing's palm.

When the two armies clashed, Ling Xue deliberately revealed her identity to lure away the pursuers. Zhou Xing charged into the enemy ranks alone, shouting, "It's none of your business to touch my Empress!" He swiftly killed generals and seized horses.

On the city wall, the soldiers saw Ling Xue in her red robes and golden armor and shouted "Crown Princess!" The sound of their shouts stopped the rain of arrows.

On the way back to the capital, Zhou Xing took out some wildflowers he had picked up at the border and handed them to Ling Xue, saying, "They're far inferior to the peonies of Chang'an." Ling Xue snatched the flowers and tucked them behind her ear, laughing as she said, "I love these dusty flowers."

At the coronation ceremony, Ling Xue, wearing a ten-pound phoenix crown, secretly stepped on Zhou Xing's robe. Zhou Xing lowered his head and warned, "If you cause any more trouble, you'll be sleeping on the dragon throne tonight." Ling Xue stuck out her tongue and made a face.

However, undercurrents were stirring in the court. The censor impeached Ling Xue for "being a hen crowing at dawn." Zhou Xing kissed her on the cheek in front of everyone and said, "My hen, she can crow however she wants." Everyone burst into laughter.

Later, Ling Xue suffered a difficult childbirth. Zhou Xing paced anxiously outside the palace, brandishing his sword and forcing the imperial physician into the room. The moment the eldest prince cried, he rushed into the delivery room, covering his eyes: "Quickly wipe away the blood! You've frightened me!"

In their old age, the two patrolled the border. Zhou Xing pointed to the spot where he had fallen off the cliff years ago and laughed, "Did the old man carry you down the mountain?" Ling Xue kicked his butt, "Call me Empress!" The setting sun gilded their white hair with golden tassels. Their love, in the long river of time, was like an inextinguishable beacon, illuminating each other's lives.

The rain poured down, leaving the Zichen Palace in a state of chaos. The coffin of the Great Yuan Emperor lay in the palace, the atmosphere oppressively heavy. Zhou Xing, the eunuch whose castration had failed, was forced by the head eunuch, Eunuch Wang, to stand guard before the mourning hall. His neck was still covered in putrid scabs, and every breath was excruciatingly painful.

Outside the hall, a faint cry could be heard. Zhou Xing's heart stirred, and taking advantage of the crowd's busyness with the funeral rites, he quietly left the mourning hall. Beneath a secluded palace wall, he found an abandoned baby girl. The infant was wrapped in brocade, shivering in the wind and rain. A wave of pity washed over Zhou Xing, and he cradled the baby in his arms.

However, his act of kindness was discovered by Eunuch Wang. Eunuch Wang's sinister gaze fell on him, "You brat, instead of guarding the mourning hall, you're meddling in other people's business. I'll take care of this baby girl." Zhou Xing's heart tightened, but he dared not disobey and could only watch helplessly as Eunuch Wang took the baby girl away.

Time flies, and ten years have passed. Ling Xue is now ten years old. In this deep palace, she is like a humble weed, suffering all kinds of humiliation. The head maid of the laundry department is jealous of her beauty and often takes pleasure in pricking her fingertips with needles. On this day, Ling Xue was once again poisoned by the head maid, and her blood stained the copper basin beside her.

Zhou Xing was now the eunuch in charge of lighting the lamps at the Directorate of Ceremonial. While patrolling the palace late at night, he heard Ling Xue's suppressed sobs. Feeling a pang of pity, he took half a piece of moldy candy from his pocket and handed it to Ling Xue. This was the first time in ten years that he had spoken to Ling Xue. Ling Xue looked up, her eyes filled with fear and gratitude, took the candy, and carefully put it in her mouth.

The Mid-Autumn Festival banquet was a lively affair in the palace. However, a conspiracy was brewing. The prime minister's daughter deliberately knocked over the lantern in Ling Xue's hand, then falsely accused her of soiling the empress's skirt. The empress was furious and ordered Ling Xue to be dragged to the torture chamber and flogged.

Upon hearing the news, Zhou Xing was frantic with worry. He knew all too well the cruelty of the torture chamber, where the instruments of torture could make one wish for death. He rushed to the chamber, only to find Ling Xue holding a shard of porcelain to the throat of the presiding eunuch. Her eyes burned with fury, like a wounded little animal. Zhou Xing was shocked; he hadn't expected this frail girl to possess such courage.

While cleaning the late emperor's study, Zhou Xing unexpectedly discovered a hidden compartment. Curious, he opened it and found a letter written in blood. The letter revealed the truth behind the late emperor's poisoning and mentioned a secret passage hidden under the emperor's pillow. Zhou Xing was startled, but before he could think further, Eunuch Wang suddenly pushed open the door and entered.

Zhou Xing hurriedly hid the blood-written letter in his bosom, his face showing fear. Eunuch Wang glanced at him suspiciously, but finding nothing amiss, he left. Zhou Xing breathed a sigh of relief, but knew in his heart that this matter must never be revealed to Eunuch Wang.

Ling Xue was ordered to clean the Cold Palace. In a corner of the Cold Palace, she discovered the white silk ribbon on which her birth mother, Empress Jiang, had hanged herself. Embroidered on the ribbon were cloud patterns known only to the royal family. Ling Xue's heart stirred, and she was about to examine it when she was stopped by a mad old palace maid. The old maid drew three bleeding finger marks on Ling Xue's palm, then ran away laughing maniacally.

Ling Xue was filled with doubt. What did those three finger marks represent? Just then, a commotion arose from the Imperial Garden. It turned out that the Second Prince had returned from hunting, and his arrow had accidentally struck Ling Xue's left shoulder. Zhou Xing, seeing this, rushed forward to stop him. In the struggle, he revealed a hideous old scar on his collarbone.

Ling Xue looked at the old scar, a sense of familiarity welling up inside her. Zhou Xing also realized he had revealed too much and hurriedly tried to cover it up. The Second Prince glanced at them disdainfully and rode away.

The snow mastiff, a tribute from the Western Regions, suddenly went berserk, rampaging through the palace. Ling Xue happened to be passing by and was targeted by the mastiff. The mastiff bared its teeth and claws and pounced on her, making Ling Xue pale with fright.

Seeing this, Zhou Xing rushed forward without hesitation, shielding his shoulder from the snow mastiff's attack with his body. The mastiff's teeth dug deep into his shoulder, drawing blood. Ling Xue was deeply moved as she watched Zhou Xing get injured for her sake.

The two hid in an abandoned palace, where Ling Xue discovered that Zhou Xing kept the peach wood hairpin she had worn as a child close to his body. Zhou Xing looked at her, hesitated for a moment, and then revealed his true identity. It turned out that he was originally the son of a border general; his entire family had been massacred, and he had been castrated and sent to the palace.

Ling Xue felt a pang of sympathy upon hearing this. Just then, Eunuch Wang and his men surrounded the ruined palace. He pointed to the cinnabar birthmark on Ling Xue's neck and sneered, "This is a phoenix mark; it cannot be kept." With that, he ordered the arrows to be fired.

Zhou Xing and Ling Xue were prepared; they lit torches and threw them into the pyre. Instantly, flames soared into the sky, and the beams and pillars collapsed with a crash. The two embraced and wept in the sea of ​​fire. Just as they were about to be engulfed by the flames, the stone door of the late emperor's secret passage suddenly opened, swallowing them into darkness.

The secret passage was riddled with traps. Ling Xue accidentally stepped on one, triggering a series of crossbow bolts. A dense barrage of bolts rained down on them. Zhou Xing reacted swiftly, shielding Ling Xue with his own body, three iron arrows piercing his left arm. Blood stained his clothes.

Seeing Zhou Xing injured, Ling Xue was extremely anxious. They continued through the secret passage and finally reached its end. At the end was an ice cellar, inside which were frozen seven corpses wearing golden masks. Ling Xue trembled as she removed the most ornate mask, revealing a face that bore a striking resemblance to her own.

At this moment, a mysterious old eunuch appeared and revealed the truth. It turned out that Empress Jiang, to save her daughter's life, had used a substitution trick to send Ling Xue out of the palace. The body in the ice coffin was actually that of the princess who had been poisoned.

Zhou Xing tore open his inner garment to bandage Ling Xue's wounds. A complete dragon tattoo appeared on the girl's shoulder blade. Zhou Xing was startled; he knew this girl harbored a secret. Ling Xue and Zhou Xing returned to the ground. Ling Xue used her blood as proof to incite a mutiny among the tomb guards. At the same time, a secret letter revealing the prime minister's collusion with the Turks slipped from Zhou Xing's boot and fell into the court. Everyone was shocked; they hadn't expected the prime minister to have such ambitions.

Upon learning of this, Eunuch Wang was enraged. He kidnapped the young emperor and ascended the sacrificial altar. Ling Xue, undaunted, publicly displayed her tattoo. The Imperial Astronomical Bureau exclaimed in astonishment that it was the Celestial Bird of Destiny, and everyone knelt in worship.

Zhou Xing seized the opportunity to leap up and strangle Eunuch Wang with golden silk. However, at that moment, the Second Prince's sword pierced Zhou Xing's chest from behind. Zhou Xing looked at Ling Xue, smiled slightly, and slowly fell to the ground.

Ling Xue was devastated. Holding the imperial seal, she silenced the assembled officials. Then, she carried the dying Zhou Xing towards the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Before the late emperor's memorial tablet, a bright yellow curtain fell, covering their clasped hands.

Ling Xue ascended the throne as Empress, changing the era name to Zhaoming. She sat on the dragon throne, her gaze resolute and majestic. Zhou Xing became the Ninth Prince, standing beside her.

At the coronation ceremony, the Empress personally placed the black gold crown on Zhou Xing's head. Pointing to the empty seat to the right of the dragon throne, she smiled and said, "My sharp blade will always hang over the heads of treacherous officials." Zhou Xing was moved; he knew that his fate was now inextricably linked with this girl's.

Three years later, the Northern Barbarians invaded. The Empress personally led the army, with Zhou Xing accompanying her. On the battlefield, in a moment of panic, Zhou Xing tore off the Empress's cloak. Only then did the soldiers discover that their Empress bore burn scars from the fire years before. Everyone was deeply moved and their resolve to follow the Empress strengthened even further.

On the night of his triumphant return, Zhou Xing coughed up blood incessantly. The Empress, seeing his weakened state, felt a pang of heartache. She placed the Imperial Seal of the Realm into Zhou Xing's hand and said tenderly, "If I want this empire to last forever, will you be my shield?"

Zhou Xing looked at the Empress, his eyes filled with love and determination. He gripped the imperial seal tightly, as if making a promise. From this day forward, they would join hands to protect this beautiful land and write their own legend.

On a cold night, the biting wind cut like a knife across the skin. Zhou Xing, the eldest son of the prefect, was leading a group of servants in pursuit of a runaway slave in the back mountains. The runaway slave, in his panic, ran headlong into a hot spring.

Zhou Xing followed closely behind, and upon seeing the scene in the pool, he was instantly stunned. He saw Ling Xue, the daughter of the disowned official, huddled in the pool, the bruises on her shoulders faintly visible in the thin mist. She frantically clutched the silver lock on her chest, unaware that this action caused half of the red rope to dangle into the water, creating ripples.

Zhou Xing was about to turn and leave, but at that moment, Ling Xue, in order to protect herself, suddenly grabbed his collar. This tug pulled Zhou Xing's collar into the pool water. Beneath the soaked white silk, a gruesome arrow scar was revealed on the young man's collarbone. It was an old wound he had sustained three days earlier when he rescued a Turkic spy in the hunting grounds.

The guards' whistles sounded, and Zhou Xing, without thinking, hurriedly wrapped Ling Xue in his mink cloak and whispered, "Miss, please bear with me, I'll take you out of the manor now." But he didn't expect that this act of kindness would be discovered by the night patrol steward.

The next day, Zhou Xing's mother, the Prefect's wife, was furious upon hearing the news. She ordered Ling Xue to be brought to the front hall and slapped in public. Ling Xue knelt on the blue bricks, her forehead bleeding, staining half of the hibiscus embroidery on her sleeve. Zhou Xing watched from the side, his heart filled with unbearable pity.

At this moment, Zhou Xing's mother ordered someone to throw the letter of annulment from the Ling family into the brazier. The firelight illuminated Ling Xue's pale face, and a hint of stubbornness was revealed in her eyes. Zhou Xing watched all this and secretly slipped some medicine from his father's study into Ling Xue's sleeve.

Ling Xue returned to her residence and opened the belongings her mother had left her. In a faded pouch, she found half of a tiger tally. Amidst the patina, the characters "Zhenbei" (镇北, meaning "Suppressing the North") were faintly discernible. This was the military tally handed over by her ancestor twenty years ago when he resigned from his official post.

Meanwhile, Zhou Xing discovered a deficit in salt tax while auditing the accounts. Following the clues, he found that the prefectural magistrate was colluding with Turkic merchants. Late at night, Zhou Xing followed a suspicious carriage to an abandoned house.

Inside the abandoned house, he saw several Turkic merchants abusing a woman. Upon closer inspection, he recognized the woman as Ling Xue. Enraged, Zhou Xing rushed inside. To protect herself, Ling Xue pierced the throat of the leading merchant with a gold hairpin. Blood splattered onto the painting "Visiting Dai on a Snowy Night" on the wall, staining the lone boat on the rice paper crimson.

After Zhou Xing finished dealing with the scene, he took Ling Xue and hid in the secret chamber. Ling Xue trembled as she took out the tiger tally and said, "This was left to me by my grandfather. Perhaps it will come in handy." Moonlight shone through the cracks in the tiles, illuminating the faint blue marks on her wrist. Zhou Xing looked at her, a surge of protectiveness welling up inside him.

For the sake of the family's interests, Zhou Xing's mother forced him to marry the daughter of the Minister of Revenue. On the eve of the wedding, Zhou Xing, feeling troubled, went to the courtyard to clear his mind. He unexpectedly witnessed Ling Xue dripping poison into a lacquered box.

When Ling Xue saw Zhou Xing, a hint of panic flashed in her eyes. She unbuttoned her collar, revealing a venomous spider tattoo beneath her collarbone, and said, "Young Master Zhou, do you know that this spider sucks the heart's blood of its host on the seventh day of each month?" Zhou Xing was shocked; he hadn't expected Ling Xue to carry such a secret.

Just then, a secret guard reported that the Turks had launched a surprise attack on the border. Zhou Xing acted decisively, turning the border commander against the enemy. Ling Xue was not to be outdone; she and her maidservants infiltrated the refugee camp and set fire to the enemy's supplies.

The firelight illuminated her face, revealing a burn scar on her forehead. It was a mark left when she was seven years old, after she stumbled upon her stepmother's transaction with a Turkic messenger. Ling Xue gazed at the raging flames, her heart filled with hatred and determination.

Upon learning of Ling Xue's danger, Zhou Xing rushed to her rescue. In the ensuing chaos, Ling Xue shielded Zhou Xing from a fatal arrow. She collapsed into his arms, her blood staining his clothes.

Zhou Xing carried Ling Xue and fought his way out of the encirclement. He touched the faded red rope that Ling Xue kept close to her body. It was the same one that he had torn from his own clothes and tied to her wrist when they first met ten years ago.

The army doctor removed an arrowhead bearing Turkic runes from Ling Xue's wound. Zhou Xing recognized it as the official crossbow stolen from his father's study. Enraged, he stormed into the prefectural governor's mansion, sword in hand. There, he saw his father setting fire to the sandalwood box containing the marriage certificate; flames engulfed the vermilion seal bearing the inscription "Zhou and Ling's Marriage Contract."

Zhou Xing watched all this, his heart filled with anger and disappointment. He never imagined his father could be so heartless. Ling Xue awoke from her coma and, seeing Zhou Xing's worried expression, was deeply moved.

Despite her still-healing injuries, Ling Xue donned her armor and ascended the city wall. Holding the tiger tally, she mobilized the old troops of the Ling family. Eight thousand Xuanjia soldiers galloped three hundred li in the night, their hooves shattering the ice on the moat.