My transformation into a beautiful girl started with a hemorrhage.

After saying that, Granny Liu stepped back.

Xia Yuxuan began to rest alone in the Scarlet Smoke Palace.

He's been so busy lately that he's feeling a bit overwhelmed.

Originally, he only wanted Hui to appear at the coronation ceremony to expose Xia Wuwei's despicable and filthy behavior, ruin his reputation, and make Nangong Bingqing give up on him.

Then, he would appear as a sage with the world in his heart and force the emperor to abdicate.

Every aspect of the plan has been prepared and thoroughly examined countless times, making it truly foolproof.

However, the situation changed drastically the day before yesterday.

A source within the palace has informed us that Nangong Bingqing has been confirmed pregnant.

This news was a bolt from the blue for Xia Yuxuan. If the news was true, then according to the original plan, even if Xia Wuwei became infamous and unpopular, Nangong Bingqing would probably still stick by his side.

If I were to force him to abdicate, who would dare stand behind me? After all, at that time, Xia Wuwei, that good-for-nothing, would be the husband of the only beloved disciple of a Celestial Realm expert.

I'm afraid that when the time comes, I won't even need to lift a finger; countless people behind me will be eager to kill me in order to purge the court of corrupt officials.

'That bastard child in Nangong Bingqing's belly cannot be allowed to live.'

Upon hearing this news, Xia Yuxuan immediately had this idea.

However, the harem was Li Fuguo's territory, and given Nangong Bingqing's cultivation level, it was simply unrealistic to poison her.

The only chance of success is to send a grandmaster to assassinate her.

However, the difficulty lies here: of the ten grandmasters of the imperial court, even though five of them have agreed to stand on his side now.

However, Xia Yuxuan knew very well that these grandmasters agreed to support him not because they cared about the world, but because he had promised them benefits they could not refuse.

And this interest that they could not refuse was related to the very foundation of the Xia Dynasty: the dragon vein.

Don't be fooled by the fact that the imperial court seems to control the vast majority of martial artists. The majority of those martial artists include the sects and aristocratic families that are willing to submit to the emperor on the surface.

If we look at these separately, we will find a terrifying fact: the majority of martial artists are actually controlled by the eight major sects and those aristocratic families with thousands of years of history.

But why do they, who clearly have the power to overthrow the world, willingly remain local tyrants in their own small territories?

He is solely focused on martial arts and has no interest in worldly affairs.

Don't be ridiculous. Martial artists are human, not gods. Humans have all sorts of needs, whether it's the necessities for survival, the necessities for martial arts practice, physical needs, or psychological needs... These are things that only the secular world can provide for martial artists.

So why were they willing to submit and not dare to take any further steps?

The most crucial reason is that the Xia Dynasty possessed a supreme treasure—the dragon vein.

This is a true treasure. Even a prince like Xia Yuxuan doesn't know exactly what the Dragon Vein is.

We can only find out when he gets old, becomes qualified, and enters the clan.

What is the use of dragon veins?

It was because of the dragon vein that the founding emperor of the Xia Dynasty created three innate martial artists in a short period of time, enabling them to stand out from the crowd and make the world submit to them.

It was because of the dragon vein that the Xia Dynasty was able to maintain a master of innate cultivation for over four hundred years without interruption.

You must understand that even innate masters are human, and humans can die.

Even those with innate talent who can live longer than ordinary people can only live to be 150 years old.

To become a master of innate nature, one must cultivate a flawless true body, compressing internal energy to its extreme and transforming it into true qi. This process itself depends on both talent and comprehension, and requires time and hard work.

Therefore, when a Grandmaster becomes a Primordial Master, they are usually in their seventies, eighties, or even nineties. At this point, they only have twenty or thirty years left to live.

However, dragon veins can greatly shorten this process.

This alone is enough to make masters from all over the world flock to it.

Another speculation about the dragon vein has elevated it to the status of the world's most precious treasure.

That is the secret that the dragon vein is rumored to hold, allowing one to advance from the innate to the celestial realm.

Although it has never been proven, all martial artists in the world who know about the 'Celestial Being' realm believe it to be true.

In addition to the fact that the imperial court always maintained a master of innate cultivation to oversee things,

In contrast, in the martial arts world, masters of innate talent appear only intermittently.

The current master of innate martial arts is the Xuan Tian Ancestor of the Xuan Tian Sect, one of the eight major sects from a hundred years ago.

As for aristocratic families, the number of innate masters has been broken for several hundred years.

This led to many powerful families submitting to the imperial court in order to avoid being swallowed up by other factions.

This resulted in a balance in the number of innate masters and grandmasters on both sides, preventing them from engaging in major conflicts.

Originally, the two sides had lived in peace for four hundred years.

Until recently, the balance of power in the world has shifted.

The fundamental reason is that ten years ago, Tianji Mountain, another of the eight major sects, saw its Tianji Ancestor break through to the Innate Realm.

This directly heightened tensions across the world.

Originally, the outside world speculated that the imperial court, which possessed the dragon vein, must have more than just one Xiantian master on the surface, perhaps two. Therefore, even when the eight major sects had Xiantian masters, they did not have any designs on the imperial court.

However, this is the first time in history that two innate masters have appeared in the eight major sects at the same time.

In particular, those who break through their own innate abilities are inherently stronger than those who rely on dragon veins to break through.

Ten years is more than enough time for Ancestor Tianji to thrive in the Innate Realm.

With enough power, those previously hidden ambitions have also come to fruition.

Dragon Vein—a supreme treasure, a coveted item for grandmasters, and a hope for advancing further innate abilities.

Who wouldn't want that?

Previously, the Xia royal family monopolized the dragon vein, which was only right and proper; but now, the treasure is naturally formed, and the virtuous shall possess it!

Therefore, not only did Xia Yuxuan not want Nangong Bingqing to marry Xia Wuwei, but no force in the entire world wanted to either.

It can be said that this coronation ceremony threw the entire world into chaos.

Chapter 211 Strolling in the Garden

"Ma'am, ma'am!"

"Hmm...um...Madam?...Who?"

Hui murmured to herself with her eyes half-closed in sleep. After a long while, she slowly opened her eyes and saw Ziyan's cautious face.

Hui then realized that the lady was calling for him.

'Madam? So I'm already this old?' Hui laughed self-deprecatingly, but didn't correct their thoughts, because it would be pointless.

Glancing past the purple smoke towards the window, the bright sunlight outside shimmered through the delicate floral lace curtains, casting dappled patterns on the wooden floor of the room.

'Is it already morning?'

Hui didn't know how she fell asleep, she only vaguely remembered that she felt very tired and went straight to bed to rest.

Turning to look at Ziyan, who was standing respectfully to the side, he asked, "What is it?"

Ziyan continued softly by the bedside, "Madam, it's already past midnight. If you sleep any longer, your head will feel uncomfortable."

"Ok."

After getting up, Ziyan and Qiyue helped Hui bathe, dress, comb her hair, and have her meal.

Throughout the entire process, Hui only needed to stretch out her hands and open her mouth; everything else was done by the maids.

It's worth mentioning that the breakfast was very plentiful: braised chicken with mushrooms, braised mutton, shredded chicken with five strands, braised pork knuckle with wood ear mushrooms, stewed pork belly... it was very sumptuous and delicious.

However, Hui did not feel the same joy as when she ate those so-called local specialty dishes at the restaurant; she only ate a little to avoid hunger.

After finishing the meal.

Qiyue instructed the maid to tidy up the table.

Ziyan saw Hui sitting alone at her desk in the cubicle, looking melancholy and preoccupied.

He suggested, "Madam, I've heard that the red roses in Yilan Garden are blooming beautifully. If you're feeling bored, you could go and admire them."

Hui was thinking about the vague figure in her mind.

Who exactly is that person?

Why can't you remember?

···

At the same time, she was also worried that after she rejected Xia Yuxuan again, he would still tolerate her.

These doubts and fears about the future left Hui feeling somewhat exhausted.

However, upon hearing Ziyan's words, Hui initially wanted to refuse, as she had no interest in appreciating flowers at all. But then she thought again:

'Sitting here like this is pointless; maybe going out for a walk will help me remember!'

Having made up her mind, Hui said, "Okay, let's go."

"Yes, ma'am."

Ziyan and Qiyue tidied themselves up and led the way for Hui.

Leaving Xunyan Pavilion and walking on the stone path paved with bluestone slabs, compared to yesterday's fleeting glimpse, I now have the leisure to properly appreciate this so-called royal garden.

Looking around, there are lush green trees, bamboo groves, vines, and wildflowers everywhere, simple and natural. If it weren't for the small courtyards and pavilions with a feminine touch that appear every now and then, and the various women passing by on the road, one would really think it was a real mountain forest.

After passing through several small pavilions of varying sizes and winding paths, then several gardens of various lush greenery, and walking along a winding covered corridor, you will see a plaque with the three large characters "Yilan Garden".

Before even entering the park, one can glimpse a pool of green water and a series of artificial rocks floating on it.

As Hui entered the garden, she discovered that the layout was dominated by water. The water surface was vast, and the scenery was simple, innocent, open, and natural. With the pond as the center, pavilions and terraces were built around it, with latticed windows and corridors connecting them. The rocks, green trees, bamboo, and flowers in the garden formed a colorful and beautiful picture.

It's called a pond, but it's surprisingly large; a rough estimate would place it over ten acres in size.

Among these, the most eye-catching sight is the cluster of bright red roses along the green water.

Wanting to take a closer look, I discovered that beyond the pond was an isolated, winding bay, accessible only by water. The closest vantage point was a covered walkway.

"Miss, the best place to view the red roses is Tingyu Pavilion in Yilan Garden. Let me take you there!"