Asking Empress Jin Li for Help!

An hour later, Qi Yuan was panting heavily. After making sure no one was pursuing him, he collapsed in a mountain valley. "This isn't playing a game—this is running for my life!" He had only killed a dozen or so garment demons in an out-of-the-way spot, yet hundreds upon thousands of garment demons had surrounded him almost instantly. He had fled nonstop, exerting every ounce of strength he possessed before finally breaking free. Qi Yuan sat up, a bewildered expression on his face. "How did the other garment demons spot me?" He was thoroughly puzzled. "Could all the garment demons share a single consciousness?" Qi Yuan recalled the Zerg he had seen in anime in his past life. In a certain anime, all the Zerg were controlled by a queen mother and operated on the same network. "If that's the case, this is going to be trouble!" If so, his strategy of dividing and conquering was completely useless. He felt a headache coming on. This game map was far harder to grind than he had imagined. "Should I ask Jin Li for help? "Maybe she has a strategy guide or something." With that thought, Qi Yuan sent off a few messages: "There are way too many garment demons in the Robe and Crown Forbidden Ground. "Today, I saw a grove where the trees were draped entirely in undergarments. Tsk, tsk, tsk, what a sight! It was utterly mind-blowing. If I could take a photo with a phone and post it online, it would definitely blow up!" "I ran into some issues while hunting garment demons today." Qi Yuan described the problem he had encountered in detail and sent it off. "Do you have any strategy guides on your end? Send one over so I can look it over. Much appreciated!" *** "Chancellor, Her Majesty has returned to the palace," a man in long robes reported respectfully. "The people we sent are gone." Sima Ting was playing Weiqi. Hearing this, he smiled. He paid no mind to the robed man, turning instead to the civil official sitting across from him. "Bochang, are you certain you wish to play here and capture my stone? "My pieces are linked into an unbroken territory, with true eyes everywhere. The game is already decided; yours is a dead board." The civil official offered a flattering, teasing smile. "This humble official's skill is far beneath your own, Chancellor. Since the tide has turned, I can only capture whatever pieces I can." Sima Ting burst into hearty laughter. At present, Empress Jin Li was like the black stones on this board, devoid of any way out. A trapped beast putting up a final struggle—death was merely a matter of time. Seizing the moment, the civil official added, "Six days from now, once Old Madame Qin falls, we will launch our coordinated assault. When that time comes, Southern Qian will belong entirely to you, Chancellor." Hearing this, the smile in the powerful chancellor's eyes deepened. Although Southern Qian was already practically his, how could that compare to ruling with legitimate authority? *** Jin Li was in high spirits. She had just visited Aunt Qin and presented her with the sovereign medicine, the Nine-Flower Brocade. With this sovereign medicine, Aunt Qin's injuries would no longer pose any problem at all. Furthermore, Aunt Qin might even have a chance to step into the Sovereign realm! To Jin Li, this was undoubtedly thrilling news. In a world where martial prowess reigned supreme, having one more Sovereign-level powerhouse would give her far greater confidence in dealing with Sima Ting. And everything that had brought her to this point came entirely from Qi Yuan. Her feelings were complicated at the thought of him. Just then, the Exquisite Jade Tide flared with light once more. She retrieved the Exquisite Jade Tide, and her joy grew even brighter. She read through the messages with absolute focus—far more attentively than she ever read imperial memorials, absorbing every single word. When she read that Qi Yuan had run into danger in the Robe and Crown Forbidden Ground, her heart skipped a beat. When she read about the trees hung entirely with undergarments, a smile involuntarily tugged at her lips. "Information regarding the Robe and Crown Forbidden Ground?" Seeing Qi Yuan ask her for help, she immediately took it to heart. "I will look for information on the Robe and Crown Forbidden Ground right away. "Until I find anything, please be careful." "Aiya, thanks for the concern." Qi Yuan's reply came swiftly. "Let me tell you, the mobs in this Robe and Crown Forbidden Ground are bizarre beyond belief..." Qi Yuan chatted on and on without pause. Jin Li listened attentively. In this moment, she shed her identity as an empress, and in her eyes, Qi Yuan was no longer that mysterious, peerless expert. They were simply old friends who could speak from the heart. Half an hour later, Jin Li looked at the booklet resting on her jade throne, her brow furrowed. "Are the records on the Robe and Crown Forbidden Ground truly so scarce?" Before her lay only a slender booklet, and the entries concerning the Robe and Crown Forbidden Ground were sparse, spanning merely a few pages. Moreover, the descriptions were utterly generic and of no help to Qi Yuan at all. "Summon Grand Academician Dong Shishun of the Wenyuan Hall," Jin Li commanded. Grand Academician Dong Shishun was among the most learned men in all of Southern Qian. He was also an ally aligned with Jin Li's faction, and she hoped to learn more about the forbidden ground from him. Before long, Grand Academician Dong Shishun appeared in the Luan Hall. Jin Li got straight to the point. "Academician Dong, do you know anything regarding the Robe and Crown Forbidden Ground—especially any details about the garment demons?" Dong Shishun was momentarily taken aback. The Robe and Crown Forbidden Ground was one of the Four Forbidden Grounds and One Absolute Land of the Wangyue Continent. It was over ten thousand li away from the capital of Southern Qian. Why was Her Majesty asking about it? "Reporting to Your Majesty, this subject does not know," Dong Shishun answered truthfully. The forbidden ground lay too far away; records concerning it were indeed extraordinarily scarce. Hearing this, Jin Li felt a pang of disappointment. Was she truly unable to help Qi Yuan? Just then, Dong Shishun seemed to hesitate before finally speaking. "This subject..." "Speak freely without reservation." "Records concerning the Robe and Crown Forbidden Ground might exist within the Duke Yu Residence. "In his youth, the old duke once traveled to the Robe and Crown Forbidden Ground in person." Dong Shishun knew that detailed books about the forbidden ground were kept in Duke Yu's residence. The reason he had hesitated was that Duke Yu's relationship with Her Majesty was terrible—strained to the breaking point. Duke Yu's daughter had been the late Noble Consort, while Her Majesty's mother had been the former Empress. The Noble Consort and the Empress had harbored deep grievances, and the Noble Consort had ultimately died under mysterious circumstances in the imperial palace. Duke Yu laid the blame squarely on the late Empress. By extension, he harbored deep resentment toward Her Majesty as well. If Jin Li were to request the books, she would certainly face harsh humiliation. Jin Li recognized this immediately, yet joy still rose in her heart—she had finally found a lead. She flicked her sleeve. "I will pay a visit to Duke Yu in person!" She had few trusted subordinates left. If she dispatched someone to borrow the books, Duke Yu would recognize who had sent them anyway; she might as well go herself. Enduring a bit of humiliation was nothing. So long as she could obtain the records on the Robe and Crown Forbidden Ground, it was worth it. *** Late at night, Jin Li emerged from the Duke Yu Residence clutching a stack of books. Having knelt for so long, she walked with trembling, unsteady steps, yet a bright smile radiated across her face. Hua Xian, the commander of the Imperial Guard, supported Jin Li, fury burning in her delicate eyes. "Duke Yu went too far! He knew full well that Your Majesty suffered an old injury to your legs, yet he deliberately made things difficult for you! Your Majesty is of noble imperial blood, yet he forced you to kneel before Noble Consort Xi's spirit tablet for three whole shichen!" For an ordinary person, kneeling on the ground for three shichen—six entire hours—was pure agony. Someone raised in pampered comfort would have fainted long before. Even an ordinary adult would find it nearly unbearable. Only those who had actually knelt for three shichen without moving could truly understand how agonizing it was. Although Empress Jin Li possessed a cultivation base, she was not exceptionally strong, and her legs bore old injuries—otherwise, she would not have stumbled into an embarrassing mishap during her coronation. Kneeling for three shichen had been excruciating for her. "It is fine. At least I obtained what I came for." Jin Li clutched the books tightly to her chest, her heart filled with satisfaction.