After the Flower Festival passed, news that His Majesty was preparing for the coronation ceremony spread throughout the Zhou Kingdom.
Some people in Zhou did not approve of him.
When Tantai Minglang ascended the throne back then, he had legitimately received the abdication decree. Not only did Tantai Jin kill his elder brother to seize the throne, but he also lacked a reputation as a virtuous ruler among the common people.
He was warlike and fond of slaughter.
Some time ago, in order to find the Eighth Prince, soldiers conducted door-to-door searches, causing widespread discontent among the populace.
However, many others supported him.
After all, thanks to Tantai Jin, the Xia Kingdom had become a vassal state of Zhou, and the entire Great Zhou had shaken off its previous decline, holding its head high with pride.
Tantai Jin had never held a coronation ceremony, so it was unexpected that he would suddenly decide to do so now.
After the formal coronation, the reign title would change, and many policies would be revised. This meant that in the coming years, Tantai Jin would likely focus on consolidating domestic affairs rather than engaging in wars abroad.
While the outside world remained unaware, a rumor began to circulate within the palace—
On the day of the ceremony, His Majesty would also appoint an empress.
It wasn’t until countless bolts of brocade were delivered to the Chengqian Palace that everyone realized the rumor was not a rumor—it was true.
The little tyrant was truly going to appoint an empress.
Their future empress, the young girl in purple robes at the moment, was embroidering her bridal veil in the Feicui Palace.
After returning to the palace, Su Su had moved out of the Chengqian Palace. Tantai Jin still had Nian Muning keep an eye on her but did not force her to reside in the Chengqian Palace anymore.
The embroiderers instructed her respectfully and patiently, "Miss, the stitching technique isn’t like that. If you pass the thread through that way, the reverse side of the veil won’t look good."
Su Su truly had no talent for this. She said, "I don’t know how to do this. Can’t you embroider it for me?"
The embroiderers covered their mouths and laughed. Seeing Su Su’s bewildered expression, one of them said, "You jest, Miss. According to the customs of Great Zhou, a bride must embroider her own bridal veil. Only a veil infused with the couple’s heartfelt intentions can bless them with an enduring union."
Another added, "Besides, His Majesty has given orders that you must complete the embroidery yourself."
The phoenix robe did not require Su Su’s involvement. With two months left until the ceremony, there was ample time to embroider the veil under normal circumstances.
Feeling utterly hopeless, Su Su picked up the silver needle and continued learning from the embroiderers.
The curved jade comforted her, "Endure it a little longer."
He only wants you to embroider a bridal veil, while you want his life.
Thus, Su Su spent her days learning embroidery from the embroiderers and went for walks at dusk.
Perhaps because Tantai Jin was in a good mood, the tiger demon had been released.
However, it was forbidden from shapeshifting within the palace. Occasionally, Su Su would see it sunbathing in the shade of a tree in its tiger form, but before she could approach, it would dash away swiftly.
Su Su had initially thought that once the news of the empress appointment spread, her enigmatic elder sister would take action.
Yet, they had only encountered each other once in the palace. From a distance, Ye Bingshang smiled at Su Su, appearing calm and gentle.
There was a faint trace of embarrassment in Ye Bingshang’s expression, but she did not show it excessively, instead giving off a somewhat pitiable air of desolation.
Frowning as she watched her retreating figure, Su Su heard the curved jade quickly say, "Little master, you mustn’t sympathize with her. I always feel that this Ye Bingshang is very frightening."
"I know," Su Su said. "I don’t sympathize with her."
She just felt that since Ye Bingshang was capable of manipulating the silver ring to attack herself, she would never simply wait for doom to befall her.
The fact that Ye Bingshang had done nothing so far made it hard to predict her next move.
When Su Su returned to the Feicui Palace, she found Tantai Jin there as well.
He had been no less busy than her these past few days—revising tax policies, preparing for the coronation ceremony, and simultaneously searching for the elusive Eighth Prince.
Sometimes, late into the night, the lights in his Chengqian Palace were still burning.What was he holding in his hand? Su Su walked over and saw it was the wedding veil she had embroidered.
The phoenix embroidered on the veil was the work of a beginner—Su Su still couldn't even manage thread ends neatly.
At first glance, the golden threads on the bright red veil were a dreadful sight.
Tantai Jin looked at Su Su with displeasure.
Even without him speaking, Su Su understood his expression perfectly—"You embroidered something like this?"
Su Su gazed at him innocently and said, "Every trade has its master. I truly don't know how, but the embroiderers insisted that a wedding veil embroidered by the bride herself would be blessed. If you really can't stand it, just let the embroiderers do it. No one will know anyway."
Tantai Jin sneered, "With skills like yours, you still want to be empress?"
When he turned around, he found Su Su was no longer where she had been standing.
The young girl rested her head on her arms and comfortably lay down on the bed embroidered with silver azalea flowers. As summer approached, the Zhou Kingdom's heat was already intensifying. She raised her hand, and the Yellow Talisman held between her fingers ignited, causing beautiful snowflakes to drift down around her.
Her slender fingers caught the snowflakes as her purple dress spread across the bed.
Snowflakes settled in her hair. She tilted her head and noticed the young man staring blankly at her face. Su Su asked, "What were you saying just now?"
The falling snow transformed into blue ice crystals on the young girl's forehead. She had conjured snow in early summer, her expression carrying a hint of nonchalance. She blinked, and the ethereal coldness dissipated, revealing a woman's charming beauty.
Tantai Jin coldly flicked his sleeve and left.
The curved jade tattled, "His ears turned red."
Su Su sat up, sensing something amiss: "Where's my half-finished wedding veil?"
The curved jade said, "Tantai Jin took it."
Su Su thought for a moment, a smile appearing in her eyes.
The palace lamps in Chengqian Hall burned later into the night, and the embroiderers never disturbed Su Su again.
Half a month before the ceremony, Su Su received an embroidered wedding veil.
The veil was placed at her bedside, exquisitely embroidered with elegant golden threads. When Su Su picked it up and touched it with her fingers, she could almost picture Tantai Jin coldly embroidering the phoenix.
Compared to a woman's craftsmanship, this phoenix carried a more robust feel.
Su Su looked at the magnificent phoenix in surprise.
Even the curved jade's tone carried complexity as it said, "A child raised in the cold palace learns all kinds of life skills."
A Fiend actually believed in such traditions, hoping the Gods would bless him.
It was quite amusing, yet upon reflection, also rather poignant.
Su Su carefully stored the veil, pressing her lips together slightly.
This was the first time in her life she had deceived someone's feelings, and it seemed she had succeeded.
The day after Su Su received the veil, news of Tantai Jin's intention to make Su Su his empress somehow reached the court.
Had Tantai Jin chosen anyone else, the ministers wouldn't have dared interfere in his personal affairs, but it had to be Su Su.
The presence of enemy general Ye Xiao had kept the Zhou Kingdom suffocated for nearly twenty years. Now His Majesty actually wanted to marry the daughter of that traitor Ye!
The civil officials thought further ahead—what if that Ye woman became ambitious, bore a legitimate heir, and the Great Zhou indirectly fell into Ye hands?
The ministers immediately decided to remonstrate.
Not to mention anything else, the Eighth Prince was still watching covetously from outside! For His Majesty to marry the daughter of the traitor Ye would mean completely losing the people's support.
Not only them, but even Yang Ji, who usually only followed Tantai Jin's orders, felt this was unwise.Yang Ji said, "If Your Majesty fancies the Third Miss Ye, you could bestow upon her the title of Beauty. If you're truly pleased, even making her a Consort would do. But granting the position of a nation's empress to Ye Xiao's daughter—in the eyes of the common people, it would be no different from treason."
Upon hearing this, Tantai Jin instinctively refuted, "Who told you I like her!"
Yang Ji: "..." Was that the point? Your focus is off, Your Majesty.
The two exchanged a glance, and Tantai Jin murmured, "She only wants to be Empress."
Oh, giving her whatever she asks for, and still claiming not to like her.
Yang Ji was too exhausted to voice his sarcasm. "Minister Jiang and several senior officials are still kneeling outside, Your Majesty. These are the men who supported your ascension to the throne. We can't truly let them die in protest."
Tantai Jin's eyes held mockery.
Yang Ji sighed, his heart heavy with bitterness. In his view, installing Su Su as Empress was an act with a hundred harms and not a single benefit. The entire world would oppose it. If Tantai Jin insisted on this path, he would only chill the hearts of his ministers.
The stalemate dragged on for many days, until even Ye Bingshang, secluded in the inner palace, caught wind of it.
One Minister Cai, in an attempt to sway Tantai Jin's resolve, had even dashed his head against the imperial carriage.
Whispers spread through the palace. No one knew who started the speculation, but the consensus was that the Emperor would likely not proceed with the investiture of an Empress.
Ye Bingshang, now the only titled lady in the inner palace, personally warmed some soup and went to visit Tantai Jin.
Passing by the Chaohua Palace adorned with blooming flowers, she had not yet reached Tantai Jin's front hall when she encountered the hurried footsteps of Wei Xi.
The old eunuch's face was deathly pale. Upon seeing Ye Bingshang, it took him a moment to compose himself before he could offer her a proper salute.
Ye Bingshang immediately noticed the still-fresh bloodstains on Wei Xi's robes.
"Greetings, My Lady. This old servant has urgent matters and must take his leave," Wei Xi said, running a few steps before turning back to offer a kind reminder. "Today... it is not suitable for My Lady to visit His Majesty. It would be best for My Lady to return to your palace and rest."
Ye Bingshang replied, "Thank you for the warning, Eunuch Wei."
Wei Xi, his mind clearly elsewhere, hurried off ahead.
Ye Bingshang noted that Wei Xi was heading precisely toward the Feicui Palace.
She paused for a moment, then chose not to heed Wei Xi's advice to turn back, instead continuing forward.
Before the majestic hall, blood meandered outward, and a severed head rolled to a stop at the hem of Ye Bingshang's skirt.
Her maid, Xiao Hui, screamed in terror.
Ye Bingshang's face also paled. A member of the Night Shadow Guard behind her clamped a hand over Xiao Hui's mouth and said coldly, "My Lady, apologies for the offense. His Majesty is currently occupied and cannot receive you. Please return to your palace for now."
Ye Bingshang quickly nodded. The Night Shadow Guard then released Xiao Hui, whose legs trembled uncontrollably as she pressed close to Ye Bingshang.
Not daring to look further, Ye Bingshang turned and led Xiao Hui back the way they had come.
When Su Su was summoned by Wei Xi, the Night Shadow Guard were already clearing the traces from the ground.
The setting sun bled crimson across the sky. The dark-robed Emperor sat on the high steps, a sword gripped in his hand, his gaze lost in the fiery horizon.
An aura of cold defiance against the world enveloped him, his fingers clenched white around the hilt.
The surrounding palace servants had been dismissed.
Though the area had been cleaned, the thick scent of blood refused to disperse. Su Su glanced at the sword in Tantai Jin's hand. He lifted his eyes and saw her.
They stared at each other for a long moment. Su Su crouched before him and asked softly, "Did you kill someone?"
He studied her for a while, then raised a hand to stroke her cheek.
"I did it for you," he said, releasing the sword. The cold gloom in his eyes faded, and he let out a low, soft laugh, as if recalling something. "You wanted to be Empress. Old Man Cai said it would only happen over his dead body. So I killed him."
Su Su found herself suddenly unable to speak.She felt a lump in her throat, both disgusted and chilled by his calm eyes.
Tantai Jin made a "shushing" gesture and said composedly, "Don’t worry, no one will know I killed him. Elder Cai had reached the age to retire to his hometown—he died under the chaotic blades of mountain bandits."
Su Su stared at him with a grim expression. "Why did you have Chief Steward Wei Xi summon me here?"
Tantai Jin smiled faintly. "They all oppose making you my empress. I wanted you to see what I have done."
A hint of bloodlust lingered at the corners of the young man’s eyes. As his smile faded, he wrapped his arms around Su Su’s shoulders and pulled her into his embrace.
The curved jade fumed, "What’s wrong with him? When mortals love someone, shouldn’t they treat them well and consider their feelings in everything?"
Tantai Jin’s actions were only adding to his young mistress’s psychological burden.
He had killed someone and made sure she knew it was for her sake.
What a damn lunatic!
His embrace carried the cold, metallic scent of blood. Su Su turned her face away, fighting the urge to stomp on his face.
He said, "Ye Xi Wu."
"Speak!" Su Su snapped impatiently.
"Making you my empress is utterly useless and has brought me nothing but trouble."
"Did I force you?"
"So, if you ever treat me poorly in the future," he murmured to himself, his voice low and icy in her ear, like a venomous snake coiling tightly around her, "I won’t let you off."
She lifted her head and saw, beneath his cold and detached expression, a flicker of well-concealed confusion.
Perhaps even he didn’t know if this was the right path to take.
Abandoning conquest, giving up his long-held resolve to seek power—he saw the abyss ahead, knew stepping into it might shatter him and leave him with nothing, yet he still walked forward.
Su Su lowered her hands and softly replied, "Mm."
Against her ear, the heartbeat in his chest remained eerily calm. If she didn’t know the Demon God was born without a love thread, she would have found this entire situation absurdly laughable.
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