Step On Me, Your Highness

All was silent, save for the faint tinkling of wind chimes hanging from the eaves and the distant, indistinct clamor.

It was still early, but Gu Chengyin no longer felt sleepy.

He changed into a brand-new dark cyan official uniform, hung his jade identity token at his waist, and carefully adjusted his attire to ensure not a single thread was out of place.

Then, he pushed the door open and walked along the quiet corridor toward the main gate of the Crown Princess's palace.

At the palace gate, the light of torches flickered, shadows danced, and an orderly sense of tension filled the air.

Under the personal command of Chen Busha, dozens of Golden Feather Guards were carefully loading heavy, refined iron chests onto several carriages.

Inside these iron chests were the original copies or transcribed duplicates of the most core evidence.

Although everyone knew very well that the great tree of the Xiao clan was swaying in the storm and on the verge of collapse.

But before the official edict of dismissal and the document of conviction were issued, Xiao Song was still the Chief Minister of the Grand Luo's Grand Secretariat, holding the highest position a minister could achieve.

The necessary procedures and the appearances that had to be maintained could not be omitted in the slightest.

Escorting this evidence to the morning assembly was not only a procedural requirement but also a silent demonstration and exertion of pressure.

"Junior Preceptor Gu, you're up quite early."

Hearing the footsteps, Chen Busha turned his head. Seeing it was Gu Chengyin, a smile appeared on his rugged face, and he cupped his fists in greeting.

He was still wearing his signature silver armor, though without his helmet. His hair was combed meticulously, and his gaze was as sharp as ever.

"Thank you for your hard work, General Chen."

Gu Chengyin cupped his hands in return, walked up to Chen Busha, and stood still, his gaze sweeping over the iron chests. "Where is Her Highness?"

Chen Busha shook his head and said in a low voice, "Her Highness hasn't left the palace yet, but the lights in her bedchamber have been on for quite some time."

"Today is no small matter. Her Highness's court attire and crown will probably be grander than ever before."

Gu Chengyin nodded in understanding, his gaze involuntarily turning toward the depths of the Crown Princess's palace, in the direction of Luo Zhao's bedchamber.

Sure enough, it was brightly lit over there. Even across the layers of palace buildings, one could feel an atmosphere different from usual.

He only took one look before withdrawing his gaze, paying no further attention.

His mind began to rapidly deduce the various situations that might arise during today's morning assembly.

Countless thoughts collided, analyzed, and rehearsed in his mind.

Just as he was immersed in his thoughts, gazing deeply at the slightly brightening sky.

A rhythmic sound of footsteps, treading on the fading night and the first glimmer of dawn, approached from afar.

Gu Chengyin subconsciously turned his head to look.

With just one glance, he felt the space before his eyes suddenly brighten.

It was as if dawn had arrived early, with all the rosy light gathering upon a single person.

Luo Zhao had arrived.

Today, the magnificence of her attire and the majesty of her bearing far exceeded any previous moment.

What she wore on her head was not the phoenix crown a princess or heir apparent would typically wear to a grand ceremony, but a more solemn Crown Prince's seven-tasseled crown, similar in design to an emperor's imperial crown but slightly simplified.

The top of the crown was based on pure gold, inlaid with seven-colored precious pearls. The seven dangling strings of white jade beads swayed gently, partially obscuring her face, yet adding more mystery and majesty.

Behind the beaded tassels were her phoenix eyes, as cold and clear as ever, but now containing endless oppressive might.

She wore an extremely complex and solemn profound-black palace robe.

The robe was woven from the finest celestial silkworm silk, soft yet holding its shape well, flowing with a reserved brilliance under the faint light.

The body of the robe was embroidered with gold, silver, and colored threads, depicting magnificent patterns exclusive to the royal family, such as the sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, state altars, and the auspicious dragon and phoenix.

Every stitch and thread was exquisite to the extreme. With her steps, those patterns seemed to come alive, faintly swirling with light.

The wide sleeves and trailing skirt further highlighted her tall and slender figure, making her incomparably noble.

Her makeup had also been meticulously applied, even more exquisite and peerless than usual.

Her eyebrows were like distant mountains tinted with dark green, slanting upward into her temples.

Her lips were dotted with vermilion, neither overly bright nor seductive, perfectly demonstrating vitality and majesty.

Her fair, flawless skin seemed to emit a faint jade-like glow under the illumination of the palace lanterns and the morning light.

That innately peerless beauty, set off by this extremely luxurious court attire and crown, was not only unhidden.

But rather elevated into a heavenly visage that people dared not look directly at, only able to feel awe and infinite admiration.

Coupled with Luo Zhao's inherent aloof aura, and the awe-inspiring might of the Grand Luo's only heir apparent that she was deliberately releasing at this moment.

Anyone who saw Luo Zhao at this moment would be left with only one thought in their mind:

Peerless elegance, natural majesty.

Even more fanatic supporters would scream:

Step on me, Your Highness!

Gu Chengyin had to admit that Luo Zhao at this moment was indeed breathtakingly beautiful.

It was a beauty that transcended gender, pointing directly to the essence of power and nobility.

As if sensing Gu Chengyin's undisguised gaze, Luo Zhao's footsteps paused slightly.

Her phoenix eyes glanced at him lightly through the swaying jade tassels.

That look...

Thirty percent coldness, like ten-thousand-year-old ice, keeping people thousands of miles away.

Thirty percent indifference, as if viewing him as insignificant dust by the roadside.

Thirty percent disgust, unabashedly expressing the sentiment of stay away from me, you annoy me just by being in my sight.

And the final ten percent, a hard-to-catch complexity and awkwardness.

Gu Chengyin blinked under Luo Zhao's richly layered, pie-chart-like gaze.

He wondered in his heart: How did I offend this ancestor again?

Wasn't everything fine yesterday? Could it be she woke up on the wrong side of the bed?

Or is she in a bad mood because there's a tough battle to fight today?

Forget it.

Anyway, as long as the morning assembly concludes smoothly, he will be able to directly enter the Foundation Establishment realm.

Then he can start preparing for the second hypnosis on Luo Zhao.

After spending so many days in tacit understanding with this peerlessly elegant Crown Princess.

Gu Chengyin genuinely felt from the bottom of his heart: A hypnotized Luo Zhao is indeed much better.

At least then she was quiet and obedient.

She wouldn't look at him with this kind of gaze that sent chills down his spine, let alone secretly plot who-knows-what.

Luo Zhao naturally didn't know what Gu Chengyin was plotting in his mind. She just felt that the way Gu Chengyin looked at her had changed again.

It became... even more punchable.

She snorted coldly in her heart and ignored this bastard who could always easily disturb her state of mind.

Shangguan Yunying had also changed into a more solemn crimson female official's court uniform today, standing half a step behind Luo Zhao's side.

When she saw Gu Chengyin, her eyes flickered slightly as if she wanted to say something, but due to the occasion, she only nodded as a greeting.

There was still a faint, un-faded blush on her cheeks, and her eyes were brighter than usual, but she deliberately avoided making eye contact with Gu Chengyin.

Supported lightly by Shangguan Yunying, Luo Zhao elegantly boarded the carriage exclusive to the Crown Princess.

Seeing this, Gu Chengyin stopped dwelling on Luo Zhao's baffling gaze.

He nodded to Shangguan Yunying in response, then turned around and briskly boarded a slightly lower-spec carriage behind them.

Sitting quietly inside, he closed his eyes, cultivating while continuing to perfect the rhetoric and contingency strategies he might use later.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Chen Busha's voice reported from outside:

"Reporting to Your Highness, all evidence chests have been loaded and inspected without error. The convoy is ready!"

Upon receiving Luo Zhao's permission, Shangguan Yunying stood before the heir apparent's carriage and loudly declared,

"Sound the bells! Move out!"