On the first day of the Lunar New Year, as the new emperor was performing a sacrificial ceremony, the newly appointed Dingyuan Hou, Lu Xingzhou, was absent. Instead, he stood on the upper floor of his residence, quietly watching the snow.

The newly appointed Xia Wang was also absent. She didn’t even use Yi Tang’s name, still calling her Shen Tang.

The stairs creaked softly as Shen Tang approached from behind. She draped a mink fur cloak over Lu Xingzhou, who was watching the snow, and gently asked, “What are you thinking about?”

Lu Xingzhou held her hand, which was resting on his shoulder, and chuckled, “I’m thinking about the day I marry you.”

“Now you’re full of sweet talk,” Shen Tang scoffed. “You’re probably thinking about how to marry all three on that day, and what the order should be, aren’t you?”

Lu Xingzhou felt a little awkward. If he planned to marry three women on the same day, the sequence of receiving them would indeed be problematic. Even if no one objected to Shen Tang being first, what about Pei Chuyun and Sheng Yuanyao? If he truly tried to differentiate between them, not only would Old Pei and Old Sheng definitely make his life difficult later, but his own household would also fall apart.

And what about Shifu?

Shifu might not want to get married yet. Focusing on the other three, the best approach would actually be to have all three come out of the imperial palace together, which would save face and avoid any order of precedence. However, this would require discussing it with the current emperor.

While it shouldn’t be too difficult for the current emperor to grant this small favor, the thought of this particular emperor made Lu Xingzhou’s heart sink.

This emperor was problematic, very problematic.

Gu Zhanting’s power was formidable, and his planning was, frankly, quite good. Even with Lu Xingzhou’s strategic advice and coordination of various parties, if Yuan Muyu’s years of defensive formations hadn’t unexpectedly neutralized the threat, Gu Zhanting might have succeeded.

Moreover, if the battle had lacked a powerful transcendent like Yuan Muyu, it would have been much more troublesome.

Gu Zhanting probably still couldn’t understand how the “Mountain and River Sacrifice” failed, even as he replayed the entire event in the altar. He would never have imagined that the root of his failure lay in a woman’s pursuit of her beloved. If he knew, he might have been so angry that he’d die right there in the altar.

The problem was that while Gu Zhanting was strong, he had significant character flaws.

Due to the arrogance of a transcendent and years of being a high-and-mighty emperor, his schemes were often not very discreet, making it easy to spot vulnerabilities if one paid attention. He also frequently made arrogant and incorrect judgments about information presented right before his eyes, such as dismissing the claims of the Demon Emperor and Holy Master fighting over a man, or believing that Lu Xingzhou would fall for his grand schemes. This led him to miss many opportunities to nip his opponents in the bud.

Such character flaws are fatal for a strategist. This time, there was an element of luck, but if Lu Xingzhou were given the same starting point to strategize, he felt he could easily defeat him.

However, Lu Xingzhou felt no such confidence regarding this new emperor.

He seemed to lack the character flaws of his father; he was extremely patient and conducted all his affairs in secret.

Even many of Gu Zhanting’s actions felt as if they were guided by him. This included colluding with demons, and also driving Shen Tang away and deposing the Jin Wang back then. Upon closer examination, every single incident seemed to bear the shadow of the Qi Wang behind it, yet he left no trace.

If everything was as expected, then Gu Zhanting was merely a pawn used by his son from beginning to end, and his ultimate failure was all within the Qi Wang’s plans.

He even knew that Shen Tang’s chances of ascending the throne were low – regardless of other factors, Shen Tang had personally participated in the battle, and once in power, it would be difficult to avoid the reputation of patricide and usurpation. Yet, Qi Wang stood idly by and was publicly acclaimed.

Now he had ascended the throne smoothly and legitimately, gaining a perfect reputation and legal standing, without revealing any hint of his machinations.

This conclusion sent shivers down Lu Xingzhou’s spine.

What kind of destruction would a Gu Zhanting capable of planning and enduring, but without character flaws, bring?

Currently, Ye Tinglan was interrogating Zhao En, hoping to extract some information. Aside from that, there was no angle from which to analyze this Qi Wang; it was like a mouse trying to pull a turtle, with nowhere to start. He had always been too low-key.

Seeing that Lu Xingzhou didn’t even respond to her teasing, Shen Tang knew he was burdened with thoughts and asked, “Are you… thinking about the new emperor?”

“Hmm… how much do you know about your brother?”

Shen Tang replied, “You know, I spent most of my childhood in the sect and not much time in the capital. I only know them by acquaintance, certainly not intimately. Hmm… why don’t we ask Prime Minister Pei?”

Lu Xingzhou pondered for a moment, then whispered, “I want to go see Gu Zhanting. Will you come with me?”

Shen Tang paused, then shook her head. “I… I won’t go. Actually, seeing him as a prisoner wouldn’t make me feel any better.”

“Hmm…”

“If you go, be careful. Although the National Preceptor abolished his cultivation, no one really understands the power of Qianyuan. What if he still has some hidden killer moves?”

“I’ll be careful.” Lu Xingzhou paused, then whispered with some uncertainty, “I feel that he might not be as bad as he seems.”

Shen Tang was stunned. “Huh?”

Lu Xingzhou didn’t explain further. He stopped looking at the snow, turned around, and kissed Shen Tang’s forehead. “As for how to decorate the Lu manor for the wedding, I’ll leave it to my wife to manage.”

Shen Tang was both annoyed and amused. She was to decorate it herself for her own wedding, was she?

Like asking a mature Soul Banner to refine itself?

Just as she was about to scold him, her eyes suddenly lit up.

Lu Xingzhou looked so regal in his mink fur cloak… she had never seen him dressed like that before.

Actually, Lu Xingzhou’s eyes were also quite bright at this moment. Because Shen Tang wasn’t wearing her usual snow-white swordswoman attire, but rather a beautiful brocade dress, like other noblewomen in the capital. Although it was still mostly white and plain, with silver thread embroidery, pearl and jade embellishments, and a styled hairdo with a zhuchai, her aura instantly transformed.

Both suddenly had the illusion of rediscovering each other, then simultaneously chuckled.

There was no “rediscovery”; it was merely because they had spent too little time together and hadn’t really seen many changes in each other’s appearance.

Looking back on their acquaintance, one could only say they felt like old friends meeting again.

“Will we spend more time together in the future?” Shen Tang asked, her eyes sparkling.

Lu Xingzhou found it difficult to answer, as he hadn’t made concrete plans for the next step. However, what he vaguely desired was to go out and gain experience, which naturally meant he might not always be with Shen Tang.

Shen Tang sighed inwardly and whispered, “Kiss me.”

Lu Xingzhou readily leaned in to kiss her, and Shen Tang stood on tiptoe, embracing him passionately.

Both felt a surge of emotion. Their last New Year in Xiazhou was still vivid in their minds, and neither had imagined that the next New Year they would be kissing in the capital and getting married soon after.

After a long kiss, Shen Tang gently pushed Lu Xingzhou away, her beautiful eyes somewhat hazy. “Go, I… I’ll prepare the new room and wait for you to marry me.”

As he entered the altar, Lu Xingzhou was finally no longer just his usual self, Anuo.

Besides Anuo trotting along to see the old emperor, there were also Yang Dechang and a host of other guards behind him, several of whom were from the Huo family.

Gu Zhanting was confined in a small room in the center of the altar—the same small room containing a demon corpse that had been bricked up when they first investigated the altar long ago. Due to its important position at the heart of the formation, it had been slightly modified to become a “dragon-trapping formation.”

There wasn’t even a window.

However, an emperor was still an emperor; he wasn’t chained like a prisoner. Inside, there were bright pearls for illumination, clean bedding, a table, and a chair. Gu Zhanting, dressed in simple everyday clothes, was practicing calligraphy.

As Lu Xingzhou entered, Yang Dechang and the others immediately tensed up, shielding him.

Gu Zhanting smiled slightly without turning his head. “Quite a show, isn’t it?”

Lu Xingzhou said indifferently, “With a fierce tiger ahead, one must be cautious, that’s all.”

“Do you still consider me a fierce tiger?” Gu Zhanting’s tone had lost all its previous hostility and arrogance. He chuckled casually. “Sit down. Wait for me to finish these characters.”

Lu Xingzhou didn’t sit but quietly watched him finish writing.

Only after he put down the brush did Lu Xingzhou say, “Your Majesty’s handwriting is a little different from before.”

“More open-minded?”

“Yes.”

“Previously, I had too many obsessions: the obsession with Qianyuan, the obsession with expanding territory, the resentment of being suppressed by a mere woman, and thus the obsession to possess her and suppress her beneath me. In Buddhist and Daoist terms, this is ‘执而生妄’ (obsession leading to delusion), giving rise to inner demons.”

Lu Xingzhou nodded. “Yes, it is both your nature and, in a broader sense, the concept of ‘走火入魔’ (going astray in cultivation). When I learned of Your Majesty’s collusion with demons, I felt it was mostly the latter, caused by the spread of inner demons.”

“Inner demons are ultimately triggered by one’s own nature.” Gu Zhanting tossed the brush aside and finally turned to face Lu Xingzhou. “But since you cultivate a soul banner, why aren’t you influenced by the thoughts of the demonic path? Don’t tell me your nature is truly so gentle.”

Lu Xingzhou rubbed Anuo’s face beside him. “Because I have Anuo, and I have Tangtang.”

Gu Zhanting pondered for a moment before asking, “What do you want from me?”

“I was thinking, why did Your Majesty still refuse to acknowledge Tangtang in the end? This action was quite ridiculous. Why do something that merely invites ridicule?” Lu Xingzhou said, “After much thought, besides the explanation that Your Majesty is a fool, the only other explanation is to protect Tangtang. You believed her ascension would be harmful, and in your haste, you used such a powerless method to stop it.”

Gu Zhanting chuckled wryly. “Why can’t I just be a fool?”

Lu Xingzhou said calmly, “Considering Your Majesty’s decade-long planning and the ambition of sacrificing the mountains and rivers, you are not a fool.”

Gu Zhanting smiled. “I thought you, who dismantled all my plans, would mock me. Unexpectedly, your evaluation is quite favorable?”

Lu Xingzhou said, “To belittle an enemy is to belittle oneself. I had an element of luck in this campaign, and I dare not claim too much credit.”

Gu Zhanting was very surprised by Lu Xingzhou’s attitude and sighed. “If I hadn’t harmed Yi Tang, you and I might not be like this.”

Lu Xingzhou was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, “As for the ‘fool’ evaluation… if it refers to being guided by your son into a series of events, then yes, that is true.”

Gu Zhanting’s smile vanished.

Lu Xingzhou said, “I believe that at the moment of Your Majesty’s complete failure, many thoughts must have flashed through your mind, and many things must have become clear. That’s why, when the royal elders proposed Tangtang’s ascension, you spoke out against it despite the embarrassment. At that moment, Your Majesty must have known who the enemy was.”

“Everything started when I discovered Yi Heng colluding with demons, and later I thought this approach could solve my dragon blood erosion problem. Looking back now, it was a brilliant maneuver that exploited my mentality.” Gu Zhanting said calmly, “At the time, I didn’t suspect anything, because Yi Heng wasn’t even an adult then. Who could have imagined there was a whole scheme behind it?”

“And now?”

“When everything failed, but it was clearly Yi Heng who benefited… that’s when I began to suspect that the person under Yi Heng’s skin was no longer the same.”