Transforming into a stunningly beautiful fox spirit, leaving a scar on the heart of a prodigy.

The city gates of the capital city appeared particularly majestic in the twilight.

The imperial guard captain, who was dozing off leaning on his spear, suddenly heard the sound of wheels rolling over bluestone slabs in the distance.

The sound was deep and rhythmic, neither hurried nor slow.

The captain opened his eyes and saw a slightly dilapidated carriage slowly approaching.

The carriage was pulled by two exceptionally fine stone-scaled horses, but the driver was a short, green-haired man.

This combination is very strange.

Just as the captain was about to stop him, he saw the short, green-haired man casually toss out a waist token.

The waist token arced through the air before landing steadily in the captain's arms.

Cast in purple gold, the front is engraved with "As if I were personally present" and the back has a powerful "Gu" character.

The captain's hand trembled, and he almost dropped it.

This is the private seal of Prime Minister Gu Xiang.

"Let them through! Let them through now!"

The heavy city gate slowly opened with the creaking of the winch.

The carriage drove straight in, heading directly towards the palace along Suzaku Avenue.

Inside the train carriage.

Su Qing lifted a corner of the curtain and looked at the familiar street scene outside the window.

The capital city remains prosperous, but compared to three years ago, it has a more somber and desolate atmosphere.

The shops on both sides of the street had hung up lanterns early, and pedestrians hurried along.

"Divine Capital! I'm back, Fox!"

Su Qing lowered the curtain and turned to look at Gu Xiang.

Gu Xiangzheng had his eyes closed to rest, but opened them upon hearing this.

"In times of chaos, harsh measures are necessary. With the borders unrest in recent years, the capital city has naturally become more tense as well."

"However, now that you're back, it's time to relax a bit."

Su Qing chuckled softly.

"What, am I some kind of auspicious omen?"

Gu Xiang reached out and took her hand.

"You are my good fortune."

The carriage stopped outside the palace gate.

According to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, no one except the emperor was allowed to ride in a carriage in the palace.

Gu Xiang got out of the car and turned to help Su Qing.

Su Qing didn't move, but simply pointed to the towering palace walls.

"Maybe I shouldn't go in? With this ten-meter rope tied to me, it's inconvenient for me to go anywhere."

Gu Xiang sighed helplessly.

"If you don't go in, I can't go in either."

"This technique of intertwining branches is extremely powerful. If you were outside the palace, I'm afraid I wouldn't even be able to touch the threshold of the Golden Palace."

Su Qing pursed her lips, took Gu Xiang's hand, and jumped off the carriage.

"Alright, I'll just consider it as accompanying you for a walk."

The two walked side by side, while Tu Ling was left to wait outside the palace gate.

As they passed through the many palace gates, the imperial guards knelt down and paid their respects to Gu Xiang.

However, when they saw the woman in red next to Gu Xiang, their eyes showed a hint of surprise.

This is the first time ever that a prime minister has brought his family into the palace.

Inside the Imperial Study.

Li Yu was engrossed in the mountain of memorials to the throne.

The military reports from the northern border, the Ministry of Revenue's complaints of poverty, and the Ministry of Rites' wrangling—each one gave him a splitting headache.

"Gu Xiang said he was going to relax, but he ended up staying away for more than half a month."

"He dumped this mess on me and went off to enjoy himself."

Li Yu threw down the vermilion pen in his hand and rubbed his throbbing temples.

Just then, a eunuch's shrill voice came from outside the door to announce something.

"The Prime Minister has arrived!"

Li Yu's eyes lit up, and she suddenly stood up.

"Announce it quickly!"

Before he could finish speaking, Gu Xiang had already pushed open the door and entered.

Li Yu was about to go to meet him when he saw that there was another person following behind Gu Xiang.

Dressed in red and barefoot, with unparalleled beauty.

It was Su Qing, the one his imperial sister Li Qingge had been talking about for so long.

Li Yu was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"You good-for-nothing Gu Xiang! I told you to go out and relax, and you brought her back!"

Gu Xiang bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.

"Your humble servant greets Your Majesty."

Su Qing also bowed slightly.

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

Li Yu waved his hand.

"No need for formalities, we're all family, no need to stand on ceremony."

He walked around the imperial desk, stood in front of the two men, and looked them up and down.

"It seems this trip to Luofengpo has been quite fruitful."

Gu Xiang straightened up, his expression calm.

"We did gain something."

"Not only did they find Su Qing's original body, they also subdued the Mountain Moving Sect in the process."

Upon hearing this, Li Yu gasped.

"The Mountain Moving Sect? That reclusive sect that has eked out a living in the Land of Forsaken Gods for ten thousand years?"

Gu Xiang nodded.

"Exactly."

"The patriarch of the Mountain Moving Sect has promised to lead the entire sect to assist the Great Zhou in guarding the land abandoned by the gods."

"Your Majesty has already dispatched 300,000 troops from the northern border to take over the defenses and has established a new defensive line there."

Li Yu was stunned.

He originally thought Gu Xiang was just going there to talk about love, but he didn't expect that she would also expand the territory of the Great Zhou.

"You... you really never forget business, no matter where you go."

Li Yu sighed, then her gaze fell on Su Qing.

"Now that Miss Su has returned, my imperial sister can rest assured."

"These past few days she's been going to the Star-Picking Tower every day, saying she wants to consult the Imperial Advisor to ask when you'll be back."

Su Qing smiled.

"Princess Lao is worried."

Li Yu looked at the two standing close together and was somewhat puzzled.

"This imperial study is quite spacious; why are you two sitting so close together?"

"While I don't mind being fed this dog food (a Chinese slang term for witnessing public displays of affection), isn't it crowded in this sweltering heat?"

Gu Xiang looked embarrassed.

"Your Majesty is unaware that this is not what I wished for."

He pointed to himself, then to Su Qing.

"We encountered an accident when we retrieved the sacred tree from the land forsaken by the gods."

"Now, Su Qing and I are connected by the primal power of the divine tree."

"The activity area is only ten meters."

Li Yu was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"Ten meters?"

"Hahaha! Gu Xiang, Gu Xiang, you've finally met your match!"

"Now that's settled, you'll have to bring your wife to court from now on. I want to see how those censors impeach you!"

Gu Xiang shook his head helplessly.

"Your Majesty, please don't make fun of me."

"While this situation is awkward, it's not entirely without its advantages."

Li Yu stopped laughing and his expression became slightly more serious.

"Oh? What are the benefits?"

Gu Xiang took a deep breath, and his aura suddenly changed.

The scholarly air that had been so gentle and refined vanished instantly, replaced by an overwhelming and powerful pressure.

This oppressive aura contained both the righteous spirit of Confucianism and a blazing, domineering golden flame.

The temperature inside the Imperial Study suddenly rose.

Li Yu felt his breath catch in his throat, and the Imperial Dragon Qi within his body involuntarily began to circulate in order to resist the pressure.

"This is……"

Li Yu stared wide-eyed at the faint golden light emanating from Gu Xiang's chest.

There, a heart is beating powerfully.

Each pulsation caused the surrounding spiritual energy to tremble.

"A mind with seven orifices of exquisite beauty."

Gu Xiang spoke slowly.

"Moreover, it is a fully awakened, exquisitely intelligent mind."

He raised his hand, and a ball of golden-red flame leaped out of thin air from his palm.

At the center of the flames, the faint phoenix silhouette could be seen circling.

"Your humble servant has incorporated the phoenix seeds left behind by the two Phoenix Emperors, and now this heart is no longer just a simple medicinal ingredient."

"It became the root of the sacred tree, and also the source of my strength."

Li Yu looked at the ball of flame and felt the terrifying power contained within it.

This power has long surpassed that of ordinary Great Saints.

They even vaguely touched that legendary threshold.

"Your current cultivation level..."

Li Yu asked tentatively.

Gu Xiang extinguished the flames and restrained his aura.

"Below the Great Sage, there is no equal."

"If it comes down to fighting to the death, even the Great Sage can put up a fight."

Li Yu gasped.

Even the Great Sage can fight!

This Zhou dynasty has finally revealed its true trump card.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Li Yulian said "good" three times, and paced back and forth in the imperial study with great excitement.

"With you here, my empire is secure."

"If those old bastards from the Supreme Forgetfulness Sect dare to invade again, they'll never leave alive!"

Gu Xiang shook his head.

"Your Majesty must not be careless."

"Although my strength has greatly increased, the Supreme Forgetfulness Sect has a profound foundation and even has a quasi-emperor weapon to suppress its fortune."

"and……"

He glanced at Su Qing.

"Senior Bhikkhu is deep in thought in Ghost Cry Valley, plotting a grand scheme."

"What we need to do now is to accumulate strength and wait for the right opportunity."

Upon hearing this, Li Yu's expression hardened.

"Grandfather... is he alright?"

Gu Xiang nodded.

"Although your physical body has decayed, your spirit remains."

"He instructed me to tell Your Majesty to guard the capital and await any changes in the weather."

Li Yu took a deep breath and nodded heavily.

"I understand."

"In that case, what are your plans next?"

Gu Xiang glanced at the night view outside the window.

"Let's go back to Zuixianju first."

"Then……"

He turned to look at Su Qing, his eyes filled with tenderness.

"Preparing for the wedding."

Li Yu was taken aback, then clapped his hands and burst into laughter.

"good!"

"I grant your permission!"

"I will personally speak to the Ministry of Rites and make sure it's a grand and glorious affair, a cause for universal celebration!"

"I want the whole world to know that Grand Chancellor Gu Xiang of the Great Zhou Dynasty has married Su Qing, the nine-tailed celestial fox!"

Su Qing hadn't said anything until she heard these words, and a blush rose on her face.

She gently tugged at Gu Xiang's sleeve.

"That's enough, stop making a fool of yourself."

Gu Xiang took her hand in return, their fingers intertwined.

"How is this shameful?"

"This is important."

Li Yu felt a pang of jealousy watching the two of them being so affectionate.

"Alright, alright, get out of here."

"I still have to review memorials; I don't have time to watch you two showing off your love."

Gu Xiang bowed and took his leave.

"Your humble servant takes his leave."

The two turned and left.

As Gu Xiang reached the door, he suddenly stopped.

"His Majesty."

"Um?"

Li Yu raised her head.

Gu Xiang turned around, his expression serious.

"Your Majesty, I have had a hard time during my absence."

Li Yu was stunned for a moment, then laughed and scolded.

"roll!"

Gu Xiang smiled, took Su Qing's hand, and walked out of the Imperial Study.

The night is like water.

The palace lanterns swayed.

The two shadows stretched long on the bluestone slab, intertwined, inseparable.

Su Qing looked down at their clasped hands.

"Gu Xiang".

"Um?"

"Was what you said in the Imperial Study just now true?"

Which sentence?

"Even a quasi-emperor can be fought."

Gu Xiang stopped and turned to look at her.

"real."

"For you, let alone a quasi-emperor."

"Even if the King of Heaven himself came, I could still break his teeth."

Su Qing burst out laughing.

"boast."

"but……"

She tiptoed and pecked Gu Xiang on the lips.

I like listening to it.

Gu Xiang touched his lips and smiled like a fool.

"Let's go home."

"Let's go get some roast chicken."

"it is good."

The two smiled at each other and walked side by side into the night.

The wind in the capital city seems to have become much gentler.