Liao Tingyan, this halfway imperial consort, had inexplicably and rather recklessly become the mistress of Sima Jiao's harem. Given that Sima Jiao had no empress yet, she now represented the highest rank.
Sima Jiao seemed to have a natural fondness for leveling people up, frequently making huge leaps in status.
Not only did he skip ranks, but Sima Jiao also waved his sleeve and had Liao Tingyan move into Ziquan Palace—the residence of the empress.
The emperor had always been willful, and no one could do anything about it. Since he had spoken, no one dared to utter a word of dissent—the blood on the palace steps hadn’t even been wiped clean yet.
As Liao Tingyan settled into Ziquan Palace, she thought to herself, At least I’m not living with Sima Jiao. I can summon my subordinates at night to discuss matters and have Hongluo lead people back to the Demon Realm to keep an eye on things.
Though she was the only master residing in Ziquan Palace, the place was far from empty. The constant comings and goings of people made the vast palace feel lively.
There was a whole crowd of palace maids and attendants assigned to serve her—at a glance, at least a hundred. Inside the inner chambers, there were those responsible for her personal care, her hair, her jewelry, her clothes, her incense, her shoes… from head to toe, even her nail polish had a dedicated attendant.
Beyond that, there were those in charge of her treasury and finances, her tea, her meals, ice in summer and charcoal in winter, the courtyard’s flowers and trees, the lamps and windows, the cleaning of the palace… All were in place within half a day, with such meticulous division of labor that Liao Tingyan could hardly keep track.
How is the life of a mortal emperor even more extravagant and decadent than that of a cultivator? Of course, back when they were cultivating, Sima Jiao hadn’t liked having too many people hovering around him. His senses had been too sharp back then—anyone nearby would easily affect him, making him particularly irritable. Besides, many things could be efficiently handled with Spells. Compared to that, this mortal emperor’s lifestyle was truly excessive.
Liao Tingyan was practically enshrined like a bodhisattva as a swarm of attendants dressed her up and then escorted her in full splendor to the spacious bed. Incense was lit, the curtains were drawn, and the maids withdrew in an orderly fashion.
Liao Tingyan shook out the blankets and lay down, only to be awakened in the middle of the night. There was only one person in the world who could approach without startling her—Sima Jiao.
What, are you making another midnight appearance?
Seeing the shadowy figure by her bed, Liao Tingyan wasn’t the least bit surprised. His habit of appearing in the dead of night was probably written into his character settings, just like his aversion to eating.
She recalled another fragment from the past—back in the Gengchen Immortal Mansion, on Three Sage Mountain, when she had once woken up in the middle of the night to see the black-robed sect ancestor wandering strangely among peculiar flowers, casually killing a very beautiful girl. Those flowers were Sun-Moon Ghostly Ephemerals, the thought abruptly surfaced in her mind. As for the girl’s identity, she couldn’t quite remember—probably some unfortunate eliminated contestant.
In the years he had been gone, she had recalled many things, and these past few days, the memories had come especially thick and fast. Though they were fragmented, they all left her feeling both astonished and rueful— Was I out of my mind back then to fall for such a freak with so many terrible habits?
Sima Jiao sat at the head of the bed, watching her without lighting a lamp or speaking. An ordinary person would have been scared out of their wits, but Liao Tingyan was fearless. She studied this emperor with rather heavy dark circles and proactively reached out a hand to him.
"Your Majesty, would you like to sleep together?"Sima Jiao had noticed early on that this person wasn’t afraid of him, but hearing her say this still made him pause. "Weren’t you terrified I’d strike you? Why the sudden change of heart?"
Liao Tingyan: "..." No, I was afraid I’d strike you.
Liao Tingyan: "Aren’t you going to sleep? It’s so late—don’t you need rest?" Ordinary people who stayed up late not only got dark circles but also hair loss and even kidney deficiency. She mournfully touched her current head of glossy black hair. Cultivation really was better.
Sima Jiao ignored her words, bracing one hand by the pillow as he loomed over her. "What are you?"
He studied Liao Tingyan closely, leaning in so near it seemed he wanted to see right through her.
He was too close—close enough to feel each other’s breath. Liao Tingyan suddenly felt the urge to laugh and tilted her head up to plant a kiss on his cheek. So adorable.
"Mwah."
Sima Jiao: "..." He slowly straightened up.
After a long silence, he finally spoke. "Are you a demon? Seeking to bewitch the ruler—what is your goal? To bring ruin to my kingdom?"
Liao Tingyan: What kind of nonsense is this? Why are you giving me all this extra drama?
Liao Tingyan: "...I’m not, I don’t, stop making things up."
Sima Jiao: "Then are you some kind of spirit, trying to cultivate using the dynasty’s fortune?"
Liao Tingyan: "...I really am not, really don’t."
Wait, does my face really look that villainous?
Sima Jiao wasn’t listening at all. "How did you enter my dreams?"
Liao Tingyan: Huh? Dreams.
She sat up. "You’ve dreamed of me?"
Sima Jiao frowned. "Wasn’t it you who used some method to make me dream of you?"
Hey, you’re pretty bold, huh? You’re the one thinking about me, and now you’re blaming me for it?
Liao Tingyan put on a serious face. "To be honest, Your Majesty, I’m actually a celestial maiden who descended to the mortal realm. We are fated for three lifetimes, which is why I’ve come to reunite with you."
Sima Jiao scoffed. "Do you take me for a three-year-old child, to believe such nonsense?"
Liao Tingyan: "Is it the celestial maiden part you don’t believe, or the three lifetimes part?"
Sima Jiao didn’t hesitate. "The celestial maiden part."
Liao Tingyan: ...Damn it, isn’t this face worthy of being called a celestial maiden?!
Sima Jiao stood up. "Never mind. Seeing how hard you’re trying to spin tales to amuse me, I won’t trouble you tonight." His Majesty was in a good mood, flicking his sleeves as he left, clearly not taking her words to heart.
Fine then. Liao Tingyan flopped back onto the bed with a thud.
The next day, Liao Tingyan met Sima Jiao’s harem—a group of stunning beauties who came to pay their respects right under her nose. On the surface, they all appeared obedient, but their eyes brimmed with jealousy, resentment, and schemes—malice practically oozing out.
Looking at them, Liao Tingyan was reminded of the group from Three Sage Mountain—those beauties who died at the start, with none surviving except her. History truly repeated itself in uncanny ways.
Surviving peacefully in Sima Jiao’s harem until now couldn’t have been easy. These were all people who relied on their own efforts and strength to stay alive.
The Noble Consort was one of the three highest-ranking consorts, and the beauties all addressed her as "Madam."
"Where is Madam’s hometown?"
"If Madam is ever bored in the palace, please don’t hesitate to summon us for company and amusement."When Sima Jiao arrived, he saw Liao Tingyan surrounded by a group of beauties. To him, it looked like a cluster of man-eating demon flowers encircling a trembling little white blossom—everyone had ill intentions toward Liao Tingyan.
"Imperial Consort."
Liao Tingyan was currently enjoying the sensation of being flanked by beauties when she suddenly heard Sima Jiao's deep, ominous tone. He strode over, his expression clearly telegraphing his readiness to throw a tantrum. This was normal—he spent 364 out of 365 days a year in a foul mood.
"What flower does the Imperial Consort favor?" Sima Jiao asked first.
Why this question? Liao Tingyan was baffled but still answered, "Peonies." Especially pink peonies—delicate, translucent, and exceptionally ethereal.
Sima Jiao smiled at her, as if he, too, thought peonies were a fine choice.
Then he pointed at two of the beauties and coldly declared, "Bury these two in the peony garden. I’m sure next year’s blooms will be even more splendid."
Liao Tingyan: Though those two were clearly hostile toward me just now, isn’t it a bit much for you, Your Majesty, to take the initiative in handling my harem beauties? I distinctly remember you looking like you were ready to watch me suffer on the carriage ride back to the palace.
After shooing away the remaining beauties, now pale with terror, Sima Jiao said, "Aren’t you a demon? Couldn’t you sense them glaring at you? You didn’t react even when they provoked you—what if they tried to harm you? One of those two was skilled in poisonous herbs, yet you stood so close to her without the slightest bit of caution."
His eyes were filled with exasperation.
Demon Realm bigshot Liao Tingyan: ...Excuse me, but did you leave me any room to act? No.
"I’m really not a demon," she said.
Sima Jiao: "Enough. I won’t argue with you about this."
He took Liao Tingyan’s hand and pulled her along in the direction he had come from. "You’d better stay with me and stop wandering off."
Liao Tingyan finally realized: This emperor is seriously unwell.
She was brought to the hall where the court officials deliberated state affairs. Sima Jiao led her inside, had a seat and a small table set up for her, and provided snacks to keep her occupied.
The ministers fell silent for a moment. Seeing Sima Jiao seated at the head of the room without speaking, they unanimously pretended not to notice Liao Tingyan’s presence and resumed their earlier discussion.
Sima Jiao had been sitting there peacefully earlier, listening to their arguments, when he suddenly stood up and left. They had assumed His Majesty had grown impatient with their bickering and stormed off—who could have guessed he’d gone to fetch the mysterious Imperial Consort?
What a tyrant! We used to think he wasn’t swayed by beauty, but it seems he just hadn’t reached that age yet. Look at him now—the signs are already showing!
A few ministers lamented inwardly, hearts heavy with despair.
Liao Tingyan listened for a while and realized they were arguing about the construction of a canal—a debate that had apparently dragged on for ages without resolution.
One faction insisted on building it, citing the canal’s many benefits: facilitating trade, benefiting future generations, and diverting the Lan River to prevent its annual floods. Another faction opposed it, arguing that it would only burden the common people. Constructing a canal was no small feat—such a long project would require countless laborers, draining resources and inciting public outrage. Then there were the fence-sitters, swaying back and forth between the two sides.
Sima Jiao listened without saying a word, letting them argue freely.
Only at the very end did he casually remark, "Since the Minister of Works insists on building it, then build it."The bearded middle-aged man, upon hearing this, revealed a self-satisfied expression and clasped his hands in praise, saying, "Your Majesty is truly wise!"
"Your Majesty, please reconsider! Your Majesty must not!" Another elderly man with a beard, who had just been debating fiercely with the crowd, was nearly in tears, his heart filled with despair. The current state of the country was unstable, with various princes and nobles eyeing the throne covetously, and discontent was rampant in the court. Under such circumstances, stability should be the priority. Yet His Majesty... His Majesty clearly understood but didn’t care in the slightest.
The old man had once been Sima Jiao’s teacher for a few years. Because he knew his place, he had risen safely in rank, but now he was utterly distraught, weeping openly in the court. There was nothing more painful than serving an emperor who had the ability to be a wise ruler but insisted on being a tyrant.
Liao Tingyan, sitting nearby, found his crying so distracting she couldn’t eat.
That night, she sat by the window and sent a signal, summoning two demon generals.
"Demon Lord!" the two demon generals said in unison.
Then they received the strangest order of their lives.
Liao Tingyan: "Can you dig a canal?"
Demon generals: "???"
For cultivators, once their cultivation reached a certain level, moving mountains and filling seas was no difficult task. Liao Tingyan didn’t handle it personally but delegated the task to a few of her demon generals.
Within two days, news spread like wildfire.
—Heaven had manifested its power! A long canal had appeared overnight, stretching straight to Qing County beside the royal capital of Yancheng!
The newly formed canal connected Lan River and Chi River, solving the flooding issues of Lan River while also addressing the water supply problems of the four northern counties. It even linked several prosperous southern counties, creating a convenient waterway for trade.
All the court officials nearly lost their minds. Liao Tingyan watched as the old man who had been crying his eyes out three days earlier almost broke into an elderly disco dance on the spot, enthusiastically showering endless praise and declaring that Sima Jiao, the emperor, was blessed by the heavens.
That day, Liao Tingyan truly witnessed what it meant to lie through one’s teeth. Everyone was blindly praising Sima Jiao. Overnight, they forgot he was a tyrant.
Sima Jiao: "..."
That evening, a group of demon generals who had finished digging the canal came to report.
"Demon Lord, we have completed the canal!"
Liao Tingyan praised them with satisfaction: "Well done."
Before she could say much more, Sima Jiao suddenly barged in, his footsteps audible just outside the curtain.
Liao Tingyan was startled. Subconsciously thinking that Sima Jiao was now just an ordinary person and easy to handle, she hadn’t taken precautions. As he was about to enter, she instinctively waved her hand and turned the two demon generals into cats.
One of the amusing spells she had learned over the years—turning people into cats, dogs, rats, or birds, anything was possible.
Only after casting the spell did Liao Tingyan realize her mistake. Staring at the two bewildered demon-general-turned-cats before her, she thought, Am I an idiot? I could’ve just had them use magic to turn invisible. Sima Jiao wouldn’t have noticed anyway.
Sima Jiao had already walked in and spotted the two awkwardly standing, ugly cats. "What are these?"
Liao Tingyan: "Ah... Stray cats, haha."
The two unfortunate demon generals: "..." Demon Lord, why does this feel like we’re secretly having an affair behind the former Demon Lord’s back? We’re innocent!
Sima Jiao closed in on Liao Tingyan, pressing her down onto the couch. "The canal was your doing, wasn’t it? Hmm? Still claiming you’re not a demon?"Just as things were about to take an indecent turn, the two demon general cats huddled in the corner: "..." Should we leave? If we stay and watch, we'll probably get killed, right?
Liao Tingyan gestured at them—Get out of here, quick!
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