Druid Fairy

Chapter 178 Queen Mother
Half a month later, a special team, amidst the cheers of the people of Yunshui County lining the streets, slowly embarked on the official road to the capital.

At the heart of the procession was a magnificent carriage drawn by four sturdy white horses. The carriage was crafted from precious golden nanmu wood, and soft mermaid gauze hung around it, swaying gently in the wind. Fist-sized luminous pearls were inlaid in the windows, showcasing its royal grandeur.

Inside the car, eighteen-year-old Li Mengze, dressed in a blue robe, was as gentle and refined as jade. He wasn't looking at the scenery outside the window, but was patiently explaining a book to his younger sister sitting opposite him.

“Crescent Moon, look, the power in this capital is like the vegetable garden in our backyard.” Li Mengze’s voice was gentle and persuasive. “The Emperor is the biggest gardener, and all the vegetables belong to him. And those princes and princesses are like the cabbages in the gardener’s yard. Although they are also called ‘vegetables,’ some are favored and grow fat and big; while others are not so well received and are wilted.”

"And what about Princess Zhaoyang? What kind of dish is she?" Li Mengyue blinked her big eyes and asked curiously.

“Her,” Li Mengze smiled, but a cold glint flashed in his eyes, “she’s a poisonous mushroom with a bright and beautiful exterior, but a heart that’s already rotten inside. Remember, stay as far away from her as possible. Don’t touch anything she sends you, whether it’s food or toys, understand?”

Li Mengyue nodded as if she understood, and kept her brother's words firmly in mind.

Li Mengze was no longer just an older brother, but also a responsible teacher. He broke down and analyzed the experience he had gained over the years in the capital, using the most vivid metaphors to teach his younger sister bit by bit, so that she could understand the wickedness of people's hearts and the power struggles in this world.

After traveling for several days, the caravan gradually left the prosperous prefecture and entered a region that had become desolate due to war.

Along the official road, ragged refugees with their families were a common sight. They were emaciated and had blank stares, resembling a group of walking zombies.

The splendor of the carriage contrasted sharply with their miserable plight.

Li Mengyue lifted the carriage curtain and saw a little girl, about her own age, kneeling by the roadside, holding a feverish, convulsing baby, crying helplessly.

"Brother, stop the car," Li Mengyue said softly.

Li Mengze didn't ask any further questions and immediately ordered the convoy to stop.

Li Mengyue lifted the hem of her skirt, walked up to the pitiful brother and sister, and squatted down.

"Little sister, don't cry, let me see him."

The girl was comforted by Li Mengyue's innate affability and, sobbing, handed her younger brother over.

Li Mengyue stretched out her chubby little hand and gently placed it on the burning hot baby's forehead. She closed her eyes and quietly activated the Yin energy within her body.

A wisp of moon-white light, almost invisible to the naked eye, like the gentlest stream, slowly seeped into the baby's body, purifying and dispelling the afflicting illness and evil spirits little by little.

In just a short while, the baby's body temperature gradually returned to normal, and its breathing became steady and long. It even let out a satisfied murmur in its sleep.

"His fever's gone!" the girl exclaimed in surprise, kowtowing repeatedly to Li Mengyue, "Thank you, fairy sister! Thank you, fairy sister!"

The surrounding refugees also witnessed this miraculous scene and gathered around, their eyes rekindling with hope.

Li Mengyue didn't make a fuss. With her brother's help, she distributed some dry food and water, and quietly cured several of the sickest children before getting back on the bus and leaving.

Sitting in the soft and comfortable carriage, Li Mengyue was unable to calm down for a long time.

The power I possess can truly help those strangers struggling in suffering!
…………

The capital city remained unchanged despite the arrival of a young princess.

The "Bright Moon Palace," bestowed by the emperor, is located in the quietest corner of the imperial city, adjacent to the Imperial Garden, and facing the Empress Dowager's Hall of Longevity. Its prestigious location speaks for itself.

The palace was indeed magnificent, with carved beams and painted rafters, and every step revealed a new scene. The exotic flowers and rare plants in the courtyard were all priceless treasures.

But after moving in, Li Mengyue truly understood what her brother meant by "a magnificent cage".

The palace maids and eunuchs here always wore the most respectful smiles and served her with utmost care. But their eyes were like surveillance cameras that were constantly running, recording her every word and action.

"Brother, they're all looking at me," Li Mengyue whispered to Li Mengze.

"Don't be afraid, they are the emperor's eyes and ears."

Li Mengze patted his younger sister's head. "Just remember what your father said and be yourself. The more innocent and carefree you are, the more at ease they will be."

Li Mengyue nodded as if she understood, and from then on, she completely let herself go, taking the curiosity and mischief that a seven-year-old child should have to the extreme.

Today she chases butterflies in the Imperial Garden, tomorrow she feeds koi by the pond, and the day after tomorrow she pesters the imperial chef to make her some novel desserts.

Her clear, cheerful laughter echoed in almost every corner of the Bright Moon Palace.

The various forces observing in secret reached a surprisingly consistent conclusion: this young princess is innocent and kind-hearted, indeed an auspicious sign, but... that's all, nothing to fear.

Princess Zhaoyang's "care" arrived as expected very soon.

She didn't come in person, but instead sent people every few days to deliver all sorts of precious jewels, gorgeous clothes, and novel toys, almost filling the storerooms of Mingyue Palace.

Each gift was accompanied by Princess Zhaoyang's most "kind" greetings, her words filled with the affection of an elder for a younger generation, as if all the previous unpleasantness had never happened.

Li Mengze knew that this was both a demonstration and a test.

He taught his younger sister to accept the gift with the sweetest smile, and Li Mengze wrote a whimsical thank-you letter on her behalf.

In her letters, Li Mengyue would describe in detail how much she liked the gifts and what new ways she had played with them. Between the lines, she was full of the innocence and boastfulness of a spoiled little girl, yet there was nothing to criticize.

This made Princess Zhaoyang feel like she had punched cotton, powerless to do anything, and her anger burned even more fiercely.

In the Mingyue Palace, a "cage" under constant surveillance, Li Mengyue quickly found a corner where she could breathe—the "Beast Garden," where elderly royal pets were kept.

This place is less a garden and more a "retirement home," filled with an atmosphere of decay and desolation.

Li Mengyue, however, liked this place very much. Here, she felt a long-lost tranquility.

In the garden lives an old, pure white spirit cat, said to have been the late emperor's most beloved companion. Now, however, due to old age and frailty, its spirit is damaged, and it lies listlessly in a corner every day, too weak even to open its eyes.

Looking at it, Li Mengyue was reminded of the injured little animals in the mountains behind her hometown.

My heart was filled with compassion.

From then on, every night after everyone had gone to sleep, she would sneak into the Beast Garden and, with the power of the [Moonlight Essence] Pearl, heal the old spirit cat's damaged soul.

Her actions were all observed by an old eunuch who was also marginalized and responsible for guarding the animal park.

At first, the old eunuch thought the young princess was just having a whim, but when he saw that the old cat, which all the imperial physicians had predicted would not live more than three days, was becoming more and more energetic right under his nose, and eventually even able to stand up and walk with elegant cat steps, taking the initiative to rub against the young princess's legs, the shock in his heart was beyond measure.

How can this be a princess?

This is clearly a living god descended to earth!

The old civet's miraculous recovery soon alerted its former owner, the equally elderly, reclusive Empress Dowager, who was almost forgotten by everyone.

When the Empress Dowager arrived at the animal park and saw her beloved pet, which she had lost and then regained, and after hearing the old eunuch's embellished description, her eyes were filled with unprecedented love and surprise as she looked at Li Mengyue. "Good child, good child..." The Empress Dowager held Li Mengyue's small hand, and tears welled up in her cloudy eyes. "You are kind-hearted, and I like you."

From then on, Li Mengyue became a frequent visitor to the Yinian Palace.

She not only gained the Empress Dowager, the most powerful "protector" in the palace, making Princess Zhaoyang no longer dare to make things difficult for her, but also gained her own source of intelligence in the palace through that grateful old eunuch.

…………

Although the Empress Dowager's Hall of Longevity was quiet and deserted, it was the safest place in the entire palace.

While accompanying the Empress Dowager on a stroll through the garden to admire the flowers, Li Mengyue encountered the woman in the green dress who was playing the zither by the lotus pond.

Chen Qingxuan.

Today, she is still as beautiful as a traditional Chinese ink painting, but the lingering melancholy between her brows is even stronger than before.

The zither music was melodious, like pearls rolling on a jade plate; the technique was impeccable, but it lacked soul, leaving only a cold and mournful sound.

The Empress Dowager looked at the girl in the pavilion and sighed: "Qingxuan is a good child in every way, but she is too thoughtful and lives a tiring life."

Li Mengyue didn't speak; she just watched quietly.

Possessing the "Divine Body of the Moon," she can "see" the color of other people's souls more keenly than ordinary people.

In her perception, Chen Qingxuan's soul was like a ball of light, bright yet unable to shine, tightly bound by countless gray threads, suppressed with sorrow and filled with resentment.

When the music ended, Chen Qingxuan stood up and bowed to the Empress Dowager and Li Mengyue.

"Qingxuan greets the Empress Dowager and Princess Mingyue."

"We're family, no need for formalities." The Empress Dowager smiled kindly. "I'm tired. Yue'er, why don't you keep Qingxuan company and talk to her for me? Don't let her always be so lonely."

The Empress Dowager was helped away by a palace maid, leaving only the two girls, who were also trapped in the "cage," under the pavilion.

"Does the princess also like such a quiet place?" Chen Qingxuan spoke first, her tone distant and polite.

Li Mengyue didn't answer. Instead, she tilted her head and looked at her with her clear, unadulterated eyes. Suddenly, she said, "Sister Qingxuan, you're not happy."

Chen Qingxuan's body trembled. She never expected that a seven-year-old child could see through her deepest thoughts in a single sentence.

She chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Your Highness is too kind. It is Qingxuan's blessing to be able to stay by the Empress Dowager's side. How could I be unhappy?"

Li Mengyue shook her head. She walked to the pavilion, and like Chen Qingxuan, sat down and swung her short legs.

She didn't ask any further questions, nor did she offer any words of comfort.

She simply closed her eyes and quietly activated the Yin energy within her body.

A cool yet gentle force slowly spread out from her center.

She didn't try to cure anything intentionally; she simply used her own strength to soothe every blade of grass and tree around her, just like she did on Peach Blossom Mountain.

The willow branches beside the pavilion seemed to have become softer.

The lotus flowers in the water, with dewdrops on their petals, refract a seven-colored halo.

The restless cicadas gradually quieted down their chirping.

To Chen Qingxuan's surprise, her heart, which had been in turmoil due to various worries, miraculously calmed down in this peaceful and serene atmosphere.

The oppression and restlessness that originated from the depths of my soul seemed to be gently soothed by the gentlest of hands.

She looked at the small figure beside her in disbelief.

Sunlight streamed through the eaves of the pavilion, bathing Li Mengyue in a holy golden halo, making her look less like an ordinary person and more like a fairy from the moon palace who had mistakenly entered the mortal world.

"you……"

At this moment, two souls, ten years apart in age and with vastly different backgrounds, experienced the most genuine resonance.

They both understood the longing for freedom in each other's eyes.

Since then, Chen Qingxuan has become a frequent visitor to Mingyue Palace.

She no longer treated Li Mengyue as a princess who needed to socialize, but as a "close friend" with whom she could confide her secrets and temporarily forget her troubles.

She would tell Li Mengyue about the power struggles among the aristocratic families, the infighting among the various forces behind the Crown Prince, and her helplessness as a "pawn" in maintaining her family's honor.

As her cultivation deepened, Li Mengyue's "Taiyin Sacred Body" became increasingly acute.

She began to see bizarre and fantastical images in her dreams.

She saw the boundless crimson maple forest, and the mounds of bones, where countless tormented souls wailed silently in the direction of the dynasty's borders.

At first, she thought it was just a nightmare.

But when she told her brother Li Mengze about these feelings, Li Mengze's expression became more serious than ever before.

"Brother, you mean..." Li Mengyue's face turned deathly pale, "...the royal family...has been using living people's lives to carry out some kind of sacrifice?"

"It's probably even more brutal than we imagine."

Li Mengze's voice was extremely dry, "The royal family relies on devouring these evil creatures to maintain their so-called 'dragon vein fortune' in exchange for their personal cultivation and lifespan!"

"boom!"

This conclusion struck Li Mengyue like a thunderbolt from the heavens.

She finally understood why she felt that the entire fortune of the Great Yu Dynasty was parasitized by some dark force, seemingly flourishing but rotten and infested with maggots, exuding the stench of death.

She was never facing the malice of Princess Zhaoyang alone.

At that moment, Li Mengyue felt something inside her shatter completely.

But then, something even more resolute than ever before emerged from those ruins and began to grow strong.

(End of this chapter)