Simultaneous Transmigration: Freedom Across the Heavens

In the Imperial Palace of Kyoto, the air was filled with the gentle fragrance of sandalwood in the Imperial Study, and the atmosphere was quiet and still.

Emperor Qing lay on the chair with his eyes half-closed, seemingly asleep but not quite.

A eunuch bowed and reported, "Your Majesty, there has been no unusual activity at the Ginkgo Villa recently. That person spends most of his free time fishing by the lake and has never contacted Fan Xian. However..."

"What is it? Speak freely." Emperor Qing didn't even lift his eyelids, his tone exuding authority.

The eunuch became even more respectful and said, "Your Majesty, of the ten ladies sent earlier, only Green Pearl was kept by that person to serve him. In addition, Her Highness the Princess visits the Ginkgo Villa every few days."

"Li Yunrui?"

Emperor Qing was surprised and sat up. "Why would she go there for no reason?"

"According to the palace maids, His Highness and Miss Si Lili hit it off immediately, and he often went to the Ginkgo Villa to listen to Miss Si play the zither."

"Hehehe, let's listen to some music!"

Emperor Qing lay back in his chair. He knew perfectly well what Li Yunrui was up to; she simply wanted to win over Grandmaster Bai Li. She was quite diligent, indeed.

At this moment, Eunuch Hou strode in carrying a stack of official documents, his expression delighted. "Your Majesty, great news! The Court of State Ceremonies has reached an agreement with Northern Qi, and everything has been finalized."

"Oh?"

Emperor Qing smiled and said, "The Court of State Ceremonial has done a good job. Issue an imperial decree that a banquet be held at the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests tomorrow for the emperor and his ministers to enjoy themselves together."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Eunuch Hou was about to leave.

"Wait," Emperor Qing called out to him, "Go to Guangxin Palace and summon the Eldest Princess to see me immediately."

Ginkgo Villa, with its calm, still lake, beautiful scenery, and deserted surroundings, is a perfect spot for fishing.

Bai Li sat cross-legged on the ground, closing his eyes to rest. Green Pearl served him carefully, removing the strawberry pieces before feeding them to Bai Li.

Indeed, strawberries without seeds are soulless, but that's the way to manage people – you can't let them be idle.

Bai Li opened his eyes and said calmly, "The Princess is at the door. Zhu'er, go and lead her here."

"Yes, young master." Green Pearl gave a graceful bow and left.

Of the ten women sent by Emperor Qing, Bai Li was most satisfied with her; she was sensible, knew how to behave, and never asked too many questions.

A moment later, Li Yunrui arrived gracefully, dressed in a black palace gown, her figure slender and elegant.

She instructed the female official to stand guard at the bridgehead, and then walked alone toward the lake.

Green Pearl stood quietly at the bridgehead, waiting for instructions.

"Young Master Bai, you seem quite leisurely," Li Yunrui said, walking up to his side in an extremely charming tone.

"Your Highness has come to listen to music with Lili again?" Bai Li emphasized the words "listen to music".

"Hmph!" Li Yunrui blushed, both embarrassed and angry. If it were anyone else teasing her like that, she would have cut them into eight pieces long ago.

Bai Li patted his thigh. Li Yunrui bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, and then leaned down to sit in his lap.

A gentle breeze rippled across the lake as the two embraced quietly.

Li Yunrui gave a soft "hmm," pressed down on the mischievous hand, and gritted her teeth, saying, "Don't go too far."

Bai Li gently sniffed her neck, then whispered in her ear, "My Your Highness, you've been coming to see me every few days. Could it be that you're addicted to being electrocuted?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Li Yunrui was furious. She struggled to get up, but suddenly felt a tingling sensation in her body and lay back down limply.

After a long while, she gasped for breath and said through gritted teeth, "You're such a scoundrel, you don't have the slightest bit of the demeanor of a grandmaster."

Bai Li said nonchalantly, "Then tell me, what should a Grandmaster's demeanor be like?" As he spoke, he tightened his grip, causing an electric shock.

"Anyway...it's not...like you."

After Li Yunrui finished speaking haltingly, her body stiffened, and she collapsed into his arms, not wanting to move a single finger.

Time passed slowly, and Bai Li felt that there was no movement in his arms. He looked down and saw that Li Yunrui's cheeks were as red as a sunset, and his breathing was even. He had actually fallen asleep.

"The current isn't very strong this time," Bai Li wondered. He figured that the princess must be hiding something on her mind and was using electroconvulsive therapy to release stress.

After a long while, Li Yunrui woke up, feeling that she had slept very soundly. When she opened her eyes, she found herself still in Bai Li's arms, wrapped tightly in his robes, feeling shy.

"Awake?" Bai Li smiled.

"Hmm..." Li Yunrui looked up, having been so caught up in the moment that he almost forgot the important matter, and said, "His Majesty is hosting a banquet at the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests tomorrow and has asked me to invite you to attend."

"Inviting me?"

Bai Li's eyes gleamed with amusement. "Does His Majesty trust me to enter the palace?"

"Hmph!" Li Yunrui stretched out her finger and stroked his face, her alluring gaze captivating. "There are Grandmasters in the palace too, so you..."

"What about me?"

You'd better be careful.

Bai Li raised an eyebrow slightly. "I've always been pure and innocent, and I never cause trouble. Are you worried about me?"

Li Yunrui gripped the hem of his shirt tightly, her eyes brimming with tears. "What do you think?"

"That's it." With that, Bai Li suddenly lowered his head and kissed her lips. Li Yunrui's eyes widened, and her gaze slowly became hazy. One hand caressed his chest, and the other hooked around his neck.

After an unknown amount of time, Bai Li released her lips. Li Yunrui's breath rose and fell, her alluring beauty captivating, as she quietly leaned against him.

Unfortunately, it's not the right time yet; this little tigress hasn't had a chance to be tempered any further.

Bai Li narrowed his eyes. A banquet! Ha, Ye Liuyun must have arrived in Kyoto by now.

-----------------

The following day, at the Kyoto Imperial Palace.

The banquet was held in the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, and civil and military officials began to enter the palace one after another at the beginning of the 5-7 PM.

The palace gates were heavily guarded, and each official entering the palace had their belongings checked.

Fan Xian took out a dagger and steel needles and placed them on the tray. After taking two steps, he asked the guard, "By the way, is it permissible to bring in poison?"

The guard was shocked and said in a panic, "Of course not."

Fan Xian nodded, and kept taking out bags of oil paper from his body, which were full of poisons he had prepared himself, leaving Xin Qiwu beside him stunned.

The Second Prince, Li Chengze, walked over with a clicking of his tongue, picked up a packet of poison, and asked, "Can this kill someone?"

"Of course it can, it's lethal."

Fan Xian looked at him and said, "Be careful, there are some poisons that I can't cure myself."

Li Chengze casually tossed down the packet of medicine and said, "Could you give me one?"

"no."

Fan Xian resolutely refused, saying, "If something happens to His Majesty and the Crown Prince, I can't explain it."

Li Chengze nodded in agreement, "That's true."

Xin Qiwu muttered to himself, "Isn't Fan Xian a member of the Crown Prince's faction? How come he's so familiar with the Second Prince!"

"Fan Xian." Bai Li walked over slowly and greeted him.

Fan Xian glanced sideways. "Brother Bai, what brings you here?"

Bai Li casually replied, "The emperor invited me."

Xin Qiwu opened his eyes wide; this man was incredibly bold.

Bai Li's gaze fell on Li Chengze, and he examined him closely. "The Second Prince?"

"Greetings, Young Master Bai."

Li Chengze had his own sources of intelligence. Although he was unaware of the inside story, Li Yunrui went to the Ginkgo Villa almost every day. Even the most oblivious person could see the strangeness in it.

Bai Li patted him on the shoulder with satisfaction, "Keep up the good work, I have faith in you."

Li Chengze looked puzzled. What did I do?

Bai Li informed Fan Xian, "I'll go in first." He then walked away.

He had just taken half a step when he turned around and asked, "By the way, how do I get to Guangxin Palace?"

Fan Xian's forehead was covered in black lines, and he said in a low voice, "Brother, please keep a low profile, I'm begging you."

Asking Guangxin Palace in front of so many guards and court officials—doesn't that clearly show that his relationship with the Princess is unusual?

"I know." Li Chengze's eyes lit up with gossip. He pointed to the east and said enthusiastically, "Young Master Bai, Guangxin Palace is near Dongshun Gate, right next to the East Palace. Just walk east."

He was the kind of person who enjoyed watching the drama unfold, not caring if things got too out of hand. As for the royal family's reputation? The young nobles were all eccentric by nature, so one more or one less wouldn't make a difference.

Bai Li nodded, patted Fan Xian on the shoulder, and said, "Keep it up, I believe in you."

What oil should I add? Fan Xian's eyes flashed with thought. Could it be that something bad was about to happen at today's banquet?

All the officials and guards around him lowered their heads and remained silent.

Can't you see how respectful the Second Prince is? When did such a person appear in Kyoto?