Xiao Feng's gaze swept over the crowd before finally settling on the young girl dressed like a village maiden.
The girl's appearance wasn't particularly striking, but her eyes were exceptionally bright, gleaming like stars.
Judging by the nuclear radiation waves emanating from her, her strength had likely already reached the upper ninth rank.
For someone so young to possess such power, she could only be the famed Northern Qi Saintess, Haitang Duoduo.
Haitang Duoduo was the personal disciple of Ku He. Due to her extraordinary talent in cultivation, she was highly likely to become Northern Qi's second Grandmaster, which was why Ku He doted on her so much.
At that moment, Haitang Duoduo was also studying Xiao Feng and Ye Qingmei with curiosity.
After all, during her time training under Ku He, she had heard him mention the name "Ye Qingmei" countless times.
When their eyes met, Xiao Feng suddenly feigned confusion and asked, "Little girl, what's your name?"
"This humble girl is Haitang Duoduo, greeting the Holy Son."
At a glance from Ku He, Haitang Duoduo quickly stepped forward from the crowd and bowed respectfully to Xiao Feng.
*"Last night, strong winds blew amid sparse rain; / Sound sleep did not dispel the aftertaste of wine. / I ask the maid rolling up the screen. / 'The same crabapple,' she says, 'can be seen.' / 'But don't you know, / Oh, don't you know / The red should languish and the green should grow?'"*
Xiao Feng recited Li Qingzhao's *Dreamlike Song* before smiling and nodding. "Haitang Duoduo is a lovely name. This Holy Son is quite fond of it. Since fate seems to have brought us together, I'll give you this piece of nuclear spirit stone as a meeting gift!"
With that, Xiao Feng took out a thumb-sized piece of enriched uranium and casually handed it to Haitang Duoduo.
"Many thanks, Holy Son!"
Though Haitang Duoduo had never seen enriched uranium before, she could sense the intense nuclear radiation emanating from it.
If she could absorb and refine the energy within, she would likely be able to break through to the Grandmaster realm.
Ku He, witnessing this, couldn't help but flash a look of envy, though he was also overjoyed for his beloved disciple.
Judging by the energy waves radiating from that nuclear spirit stone, even for a Grandmaster like Ku He, it would be a tremendous supplement—enough to save him decades of arduous cultivation.
As expected of the Temple's Holy Son. Even a casually bestowed meeting gift was an unimaginably priceless treasure to mortals.
"Holy Son, Her Majesty has already prepared a banquet in the palace. Please accompany us to the imperial palace!"
Ku He gestured respectfully and led the group toward the Northern Qi imperial palace.
The Northern Qi palace was vastly different from the Qing Kingdom's. Rather than emphasizing grandeur, it was layered and interconnected, exuding an air of serene beauty.
Under Ku He's guidance, the group passed through long corridors, walked alongside flowing streams, and ascended a lengthy staircase before finally arriving at the main hall of the Northern Qi palace.
Imperial guards stood at attention before the hall, their expressions resolute, their auras all at the level of seventh-rank martial artists.
The chief eunuch waiting at the entrance flicked his horsetail whisk and announced in a raspy voice, "The Holy Son has arrived!"
As his voice echoed, the heavy doors of the main hall slowly swung open, revealing the opulent interior to the crowd.
The main hall of the Great Qi palace was exceptionally spacious. The upper eaves were adorned with expensive glass windows, allowing sunlight to flood the interior and dispel the gloomy atmosphere typical of palaces.
Dozens of thick, jet-black pillars lined the sides of the hall, each painted with golden designs of coiling dragons soaring into clouds.
Behind the pillars were layers of curtains, through which faint silhouettes could be seen shifting.
But the most eye-catching feature was the straight path connecting the main entrance to the hall.
The entire path was paved with blue jade stones, covered by a thick carpet. On either side were two pools of crystal-clear water, where exquisite goldfish lazily swam, their beautiful tails swaying gracefully.
At the end of the path was the assembly area for Northern Qi's court officials. Directly ahead stood a raised platform, upon which rested a golden dragon throne.
Seated on the throne was a youthful figure—the seventeen-year-old Northern Qi Emperor, Zhan Doudou, who had only taken the throne two years prior.
Having read the original work, Xiao Feng knew that Zhan Doudou was actually a girl.
Had the previous Northern Qi Emperor not died early and left no sons, she wouldn't have had to disguise herself as a man to inherit the throne.
Just as Zhan Doudou was studying Xiao Feng with curiosity, he cut straight to the point:
"I never expected the young Emperor of Northern Qi to actually be a woman!"
!!!∑(ﾟДﾟノ)ノ
The faces of everyone present turned pale with shock.
Though many officials had already guessed Zhan Doudou's true gender, with Ku He's influence suppressing dissent, no one had dared to expose the secret publicly.
[The latest updates are first posted on 69shuba!]
"The Holy Son's insight is truly remarkable."
Just as the court fell into dead silence, a crisp voice rang out from behind the beaded curtain at the back of the throne.
A noblewoman in resplendent phoenix robes then stepped out from behind the curtain.
The beautiful woman, who appeared to be in her early thirties, was the true power behind Northern Qi—Zhan Doudou's birth mother, the current Empress Dowager of Northern Qi.
"The late Emperor passed too soon, leaving only this orphaned mother and daughter behind. To maintain Northern Qi's stability, this consort had no choice but to resort to such measures. I hope the Holy Son will forgive this impropriety."
The Empress Dowager openly admitted Zhan Doudou's true gender because Ku He could no longer protect them.
Though the Southern Qing Kingdom had publicly announced that the Qing Emperor had died suddenly from illness, discerning individuals could tell that his death was linked to Xiao Feng—after all, he was the one who benefited most from it.
The Empress Dowager might not have known the secret of the Qing Emperor being a Grandmaster, but she could guess that he must have had Grandmaster-level protection.
If Xiao Feng could kill the Qing Emperor under such protection and seize control of Southern Qing, then eliminating Zhan Doudou and her mother under Ku He's watch would be just as easy.
Thus, the Empress Dowager had already prepared to bow before Xiao Feng and submit.
"Your Majesty jests. Though female emperors are rare, this Holy Son has seen many and would never look down on you for it."
Xiao Feng paused before shifting the topic.
"However, worldly men are often prejudiced against women. They may not be willing to submit to a female ruler.
"This Holy Son truly has no desire to incite chaos in Northern Qi over a careless remark, bringing unnecessary karma.
"Since matters have come to this, I propose that Her Majesty the Empress Dowager betroth the Female Emperor to me!
"In return, I shall prepare a generous dowry and assign ten Grandmasters as her personal guards, ensuring Northern Qi's eternal stability."
"..."
The Empress Dowager's expression flickered briefly before she forced a smile. "That would be most ideal!"
(End of Chapter)