This chief female official appeared to be diligently working.
She held a folded document in both hands, her posture upright, her expression focused.
But in truth, her gaze kept drifting toward the door—glancing over, pulling back, glancing over again, pulling back again.
This absentminded demeanor clearly meant her mind was elsewhere.
As for what she was thinking about, Luo Zhao could guess it even with her toes.
Gu Chengyin.
Ever since Shangguan Yunying genuinely fell for Gu Chengyin, she had changed.
She became prone to daydreaming, prone to distraction, constantly looking toward the entrance.
Anyone watching might think Gu Chengyin, not Luo Zhao, was Shangguan Yunying’s true master.
Luo Zhao felt a mix of emotions.
Shangguan Yunying had served as chief female official for so many years.
Luo Zhao trusted her, relied on her, treated her as the most trusted of confidants.
And what was the result?
The result was that this woman’s heart had flown straight to Gu Chengyin.
But then again...
A flicker passed through Luo Zhao’s eyes.
Unlike Gu Xiaoli, Shangguan Yunying had already given herself away.
Since she had already surrendered, she might as well be put to good use.
Shangguan Yunying might not yet fully belong to Gu Chengyin, but her heart was leaning toward him.
What if she were sent to stall for time?
Luo Zhao’s mind quickly calculated.
Gu Xiaoli was still her cat.
But since Gu Chengyin already knew Gu Xiaoli’s true identity, he wouldn’t let the matter rest.
He would definitely find a way to turn Gu Xiaoli into his cat.
Whether through coercion or bribery, the world-weary girl might be skilled in cultivation,
but when it came to cunning, a hundred Gu Xiaolis combined couldn’t outplay a single Gu Chengyin.
So she had to find a way to prevent Gu Chengyin from taking Gu Xiaoli.
But what options did she have now?
A direct confrontation wouldn’t work, reasoning was useless, and playing mind games—
when had she ever outmaneuvered Gu Chengyin?
The only choice was to stall for time and first move Gu Xiaoli out of the Ten Thousand Realms Tower.
As long as Gu Chengyin couldn’t find Gu Xiaoli, there was still hope.
And to stall for time, someone needed to distract Gu Chengyin,
to cause him trouble, to make it harder for him to enter the Ten Thousand Realms Tower.
As for who that person should be...
Luo Zhao’s gaze fell on Shangguan Yunying again.
Shangguan Yunying was the most suitable choice.
Her heart belonged to Gu Chengyin, so Gu Chengyin wouldn’t be too suspicious of her.
Thus, having Shangguan Yunying stall for time would be perfectly reasonable and would not arouse his suspicion.
Moreover...
A subtle smile curved at the corner of Luo Zhao’s lips.
Since this woman dared to give her heart to Gu Chengyin, she ought to pay a little price.
Sending her to spar wits with Gu Chengyin would also serve as punishment for her defection.
As for whether Shangguan Yunying could actually hold Gu Chengyin back...
Luo Zhao wasn’t sure, but it was better than doing nothing.
There was no time to waste.
Luo Zhao spoke at once: “Yunying.”
Shangguan Yunying had been staring at the door in a daze. Not long ago, Gu Chengyin had poked his head in right there,
wearing that moon-white robe, making him look all the more refined. Some sunlight seemed to have come from nowhere,
just landing on his profile, illuminating his features so beautifully.
It was a pity he had only glanced and left—if only she could have seen him a little longer...
“Yunying!”
Shangguan Yunying started, snapping back to reality, and hurriedly replied, “Your Highness?”
Luo Zhao didn’t speak immediately but instead walked over to stand before Shangguan Yunying.
Shangguan Yunying looked up at her, slightly bewildered, unsure what Luo Zhao intended.
Luo Zhao leaned close to her ear, lowering her voice to a whisper so soft that only the two of them could hear.
“Yunying, listen to me...”
As Shangguan Yunying listened, her eyes gradually widened, her expression shifting from confusion to surprise, and from surprise to complexity.
“Your Highness, this...” she hesitated, speaking up: “This isn’t appropriate, is it?”
Luo Zhao stepped back, fixing her gaze directly on her. “What’s inappropriate about it?”
Shangguan Yunying opened her mouth, as if to say something, but couldn’t find the words.
Of course it wasn’t appropriate.
Her Highness wanted her to hold Gu Chengyin back, to make him delay his visit to the Ten Thousand Realms Tower.
Though Shangguan Yunying didn’t know why Luo Zhao wanted to stall him,
would she truly go through with it?
Seeing Shangguan Yunying’s conflicted expression,
Luo Zhao laughed inwardly but let a trace of disappointment show on her face:
“Yunying, you are my chief female official. Now, even you refuse to help me?”
Shangguan Yunying hurriedly replied, “Your Highness, that’s not what I meant...”
“Then what do you mean?” Luo Zhao pressed.
Shangguan Yunying fell silent.
Luo Zhao sighed, softening her tone: “Yunying, I know you don’t want to go against Gu Chengyin.
“But you must also understand: my aunt now sides with Gu Chengyin, and she’s abandoned me, her own niece.
“If even you refuse to help me... then I truly don’t know what to do anymore.”
As Luo Zhao spoke, her voice trembled slightly, and her eyes grew a little red.
Seeing Luo Zhao like this, Shangguan Yunying’s heart softened at once.
Her Highness had always been good to her.
Though sometimes she was harsh, scolded her, or took out her frustrations on her,
when it came to protecting her, she never failed.
And this was the first time Luo Zhao had ever shown such a pitiful side.
How could she refuse?
Besides...
It was only a matter of stalling for time, not a big deal, right?
At most, she could make it up to him later.
It's not like Gu Chengyin would really stay mad at her.
Shangguan Yunying bit her lower lip and finally nodded. "Your Highness, I'll go."
A flicker of amusement passed through Luo Zhao's eyes, but she kept up her worried expression.
"Yunying, you're truly the best."
Shangguan Yunying dared not admit she had already planned to seek out Gu Chengyin.
Lowering her head, she whispered, "Your Highness, should I go find him now?"
Luo Zhao nodded and added, "Remember, you're supposed to hold him off, not throw yourself at him, got it?"
Shangguan Yunying acknowledged with a soft reply and turned to leave the main hall.
After a few steps, she looked back. "Your Highness, what if he gets angry?"
Luo Zhao smiled faintly. "He likes you so much; he won't be angry with you."
Shangguan Yunying was taken aback. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she quickly turned and hurried out of the main hall.
Luo Zhao watched her figure vanish beyond the doorway, her smile gradually fading.
She turned and went back behind the long desk, sat down, and retrieved a Luo Mountain Token.
The other half of this Luo Mountain Token was with Gu Xiaoli.
Luo Zhao had to ensure she could contact Gu Xiaoli at any time.
Only after instructing Gu Xiaoli to leave the Ten Thousand Phenomena Tower without being discovered by Gu Chengyin did Luo Zhao put the token down, pick up her brush, and continue reviewing the memorials.
Her expression was calm, as if nothing had happened.
But the hand holding the brush tightened slightly, and her mind churned with turbulent thoughts.
Damn Gu Chengyin—first he steals my chief female official, then he steals my little aunt.
And now he wants to steal my cat.
It won't be that easy!
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
