"If the King of Hell disagrees, a rift will form between the two, which is exactly what the Emperor desires. Just add a little fuel to the fire, and they'll surely break apart."
"If the King of Hell agrees, then he's defying an imperial decree. How he's punished will be entirely up to you, Your Majesty."
Xue Lang finished in one breath, slowly raising his head to observe the expressions.
Although Ye Moyuan was good at hiding his emotions, Xue Lang had been with him for over ten years and knew his temper and preferences almost perfectly.
Everyone has micro-expressions; no matter how well you control your emotions, some habitual movements are hard to change.
Ye Moyuan was no exception.
After hearing Xue Lang's words, the furrow in his brow, tightened with anger, slowly relaxed.
"Pick it up!"
Ye Moyuan's voice was considerably calmer.
His gaze fell upon the portrait of Yue Wumei.
"Pick it up? Pick what up?"
Xue Lang was slightly taken aback.
Soon, he noticed where Ye Moyuan's gaze was fixed.
He was taken aback again, thinking, "Isn't the woman in the painting Zi Linling? His Majesty keeps a portrait of that girl, could it be..."
This wasn't surprising for Xue Lang's overthinking.
He was favored by Ye Moyuan, yes.
But as an emperor, Ye Moyuan naturally wouldn't expose his secrets to others.
This portrait, or rather, Yue Wumei in the portrait, was both his obsession and one of his few secrets.
Therefore, since Xue Lang didn't know about the existence of this portrait and had never seen Yue Wumei in person, he could only guess it was Zi Linling.
Seeing the portrait, Xue Lang seemed to understand something.
But he couldn't ask, nor did he dare.
To be constantly by the ruler's side, one must learn not to ask what shouldn't be asked, and even if one knows something they shouldn't, they must pretend ignorance.
Maintaining boundaries and fulfilling one's duties was why Xue Lang could become a favorite in the palace.
Xue Lang speculated in his mind, but his movements were not slow.
He got up, walked to the portrait, then squatted down, and carefully picked it up. He gently blew off the dust and respectfully handed it to Ye Moyuan.
"Your Majesty, please rest for a moment. This old servant will have someone come and clean up."
Ye Moyuan nodded and faintly replied, "En," agreeing.
Xue Lang, having received the order, quietly withdrew from the imperial study, closing the door behind him, and wiped away the non-existent cold sweat on his forehead.
Only after Ye Moyuan confirmed Xue Lang had left did he speak faintly to the air, "Accompany me out of the palace!"
"Yes! Your Majesty!"
A faint response echoed from the air.
The voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for Ye Moyuan to hear, but not for others.
If Xue Lang were still there, he would have been greatly startled.
Having received a response, Ye Moyuan rolled up the scroll, sat on the dragon throne, and lightly tapped a raised part behind the armrest with his right hand.
With a "creak," a secret door appeared on the right side of the study.
Who would have thought that the emperor's imperial study would hide such a secret?
Ye Moyuan stood up and slipped inside.
Then, the spiritual energy behind him fluctuated slightly, and the secret door closed, returning to its original appearance without leaving a trace.
Meanwhile, Zi Linling, upon leaving the imperial palace, headed straight for the King of Hell's mansion.
Since Ye Moyuan was trying to sow discord between her and Ye Lingyuan at this time, it meant he was planning to make a move against Ye Lingyuan.
Therefore, she had to inform Ye Lingyuan and warn him to be careful.
Although Ye Lingyuan's cultivation was already unmatched, open attacks were easy to evade, but hidden ones were hard to guard against. No one could guarantee they wouldn't capsize in a ditch, right?
Besides, there were too many things in the world that could threaten a spiritual cultivator, and one of them was poison.
Ordinary poisons wouldn't threaten someone like Ye Lingyuan, who was at the Small Divine Realm. But what about ancient potent poisons like Moonlit Glazed Jade?
It wasn't that Zi Linling was overthinking. Since Ye Moyuan possessed Moonlit Glazed Jade, there was no guarantee he wouldn't have other preparations.
It seemed that killing the two palace mistresses of the Hundred Flowers Palace and sealing the demon god Mo Qingcheng had not been deterrent enough.
Otherwise, Ye Moyuan wouldn't be thinking of making a move against Ye Lingyuan.
If that's the case, then...
Zi Linling walked, her mind racing, various plans surfacing in her thoughts.
...
In the King of Hell's mansion, Ye Lingyuan sat in the Fragrant Lotus Pavilion on the lake island, leisurely brewing tea.
The Fragrant Lotus Pavilion was surrounded by water, like a small island floating in the lake.
The water was covered with dark green lotus leaves, interspersed with graceful lotus flowers of various colors.
As the breeze blew, the lotus leaves stirred, and the fragrance of lotus filled the air.
"My Lord, someone from the palace sent word that the Emperor summoned the Consort today."
Qing Feng stood respectfully outside the Fragrant Lotus Pavilion, reporting the newly received information.
"Uh!"
Ye Lingyuan responded faintly, as if he hadn't heard.
"Our people said the Emperor kept the Consort waiting for half an hour!"
Qing Feng spoke unhurriedly.
Ye Lingyuan's movements paused, a flicker of ferocity in his eyes. He thought, "Ye Moyuan, you are very good! You dare to keep the person I hold in my palm waiting."
"Later, you and the Consort were alone in the imperial study for an hour."
"Alone?" The ferocity in Ye Lingyuan's eyes intensified.
"Yes, My Lord. However, what the Emperor and the Consort discussed is unknown. The Emperor had a Saint King realm expert by his side, so our people couldn't get close."
"And then?"
Ye Lingyuan looked up at Qing Feng, a hint of interest in his eyes.
He wasn't worried about Zi Linling's safety. Let alone one Saint King, even three or five wouldn't be a match for his Lin'er.
Qing Feng continued, "Then, the Consort, furious, left the imperial study and said something very domineeringly."
Ye Lingyuan raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued, "What did she say?"
"The Consort said: 'Ye Moyuan, if I respect you, you are the Emperor! If I don't respect you, you are nothing! I advise you, it's best not to provoke me, or you won't be able to bear the consequences!'"
"The Consort also said: 'Ye Lingyuan is mine in life, and mine in death! No one can touch him without my permission! If gods move him, I will slay gods; if demons move him, I will slaughter demons; if you move him, I will... kill you!'"
Qing Feng recounted Zi Linling's words vividly, as if he had been there at the time.
Of course, this was also thanks to the messenger's excellent vocal skills.
Ye Lingyuan smiled, a brilliant, proud smile.
His Lin'er was too domineering!
Ye Lingyuan loved these words dearly and silently committed them to memory.
Qing Feng seized the opportunity and said, "The Consort is truly too domineering! Since the Emperor ascended the throne, the Consort is the first person to dare to threaten him by pointing fingers! It really shows that My Lord has good taste!"
The pride in his words was no less than Ye Lingyuan's.
Ye Lingyuan glanced at Qing Feng arrogantly, as if to say, "Naturally!"