Chapter 1447: Chapter 4: Jealousy (Night Thought Extra)
Having obtained the complete Life Divine Water from The Four Forbidden Zones, Qin Sisi was able to reshape her body and safely pass through this fated trial of life and death.
She and Ye You promptly returned to Phoenix Palace in Wang City, and smoothly became the Sage Ruler and Sage Consort once again.
However, after the perfect ending, some minor troubles followed.
Ye You, having once again taken on the role of Sage Ruler, felt overwhelmed with daily affairs needing his attention, noticeably reducing the time he could spend with Qin Sisi.
Qin Sisi was still in the form of a cat, unable to practice, and spent each day practicing forging techniques in Phoenix Palace.
In the past, the two were inseparable, always together day and night, but suddenly they found themselves mostly apart, a change both Qin Sisi and Ye You found hard to adapt to emotionally.
Later, Ye You came up with an idea: every morning, he would discuss important matters of Demon Sacred Realm with various officials, a period when Qin Sisi couldn’t show up.
After the meetings, Ye You would handle the magic spheres consolidated with magical power by the officials in Jiu Hua Hall’s inner chamber, which recorded their reports or requests.
During this time, there were only a few guards around Ye You, so he invited Qin Sisi to accompany him. Even though one was busy with official duties and the other with forging practice, speaking rarely, the comfort of seeing each other when they looked up brought them joy and reassurance.
This was merely a private form of affection between husband and wife, yet eventually discovered by others, leading to secret rumors that distorted the truth beyond recognition.
The rumor claimed that Qin Sisi was petty, capricious, and jealous, remaining at the Sage Ruler’s side constantly, fearing he would find a new love, thus preventing him from concentrating on his official duties.
When lies are repeated enough, they become accepted as truth.
Consequently, many officials began advising Ye You to prioritize national affairs and not indulge the Sage Consort in everything.
Initially, Ye You patiently explained that it wasn’t Qin Sisi lingering but his own desire for her companionship.
However, Ye You’s explanation fell short of effectiveness, as some were determined to believe their imagined scenario, rendering any justification by those involved futile.
A particularly damaging incident occurred when an official, needing to report face-to-face, entered the inner chamber and witnessed Qin Sisi resting on Ye You’s shoulder, sparking an escalation of defamatory slander against Qin Sisi.
When Ye You’s guards conveyed these derogatory remarks to him, Ye You finally lost his temper and resolved to severely reprimand those stubborn old folks.
Among The Eight Great Families, all had some connection to Qin Sisi, but her most steadfast supporters included her close friend Xiao Meng and her maternal family, the Meilan Family.
It was not long before the Meilan Family Clan Leader Mei Ji, her husband Chen Song, and Wen Xuan, along with numerous gifts, arrived in Wang City to visit the Sage Consort Qin Sisi.
Qin Sisi, being the adopted daughter of Mei Ji and Chen Song, was naturally visited by them like any parents would their child.
With the Meilan Family’s arrival, voices against Qin Sisi quieted somewhat, as Mei Ji’s reputation and beauty were not easily contended with.
Days later, those officials defaming Qin Sisi fell into a deep sleep, not just them, but their entire households, remaining unconscious.
Everyone suspected the Meilan Family, yet no one had any evidence.
To calm the populace, Ye You requested the Meilan Family stay temporarily at the Royal Palace until those officials awoke, barring their return to Miaoyin City.
After seven days, the officials and their families gradually woke up, all found to be physically sound.
However, Ye You had already replaced their positions with new appointees, citing "national affairs above all" as the reason.
Ironically, this reasoning was what those officials had previously used to urge Ye You to distance himself from Qin Sisi.
The officials were deeply discontented, yet some shrewdly grasped Ye You’s intentions and quietly accepted their losses, working inconspicuously at newly assigned roles, not daring to speak a word against Qin Sisi.
Two stubborn officials refused to let the matter rest ambiguously, barging into the inner chamber, demanding a thorough investigation from Ye You.
Ye You’s gaze darkened as he coldly remarked, "Very well, as you wish."
Thus, two newly appointed officials began investigating the reason behind those two officials’ seven-day coma.
Ultimately, while the cause of the coma remained unclear, the investigation revealed one official having an affair with his wife’s sister, and the other’s son abusing power to seize civilian women.
The coma incident was set aside as their personal transgressions were thoroughly exposed, stripping them of their reputation and positions, throwing them from grace into disgrace.
Only by this point did the officials vaguely comprehend who was truly behind their downfall, regrettably realizing it too late.
Following this upheaval, silence settled among the officials, leaving no one daring to insult Qin Sisi further, allowing Ye You peace of mind.
While the official matters were resolved, inside the Royal Palace, there remained many beautiful women discontent with the status quo, viewing Ye You as a tempting prize that could potentially elevate them to unimaginable heights.
Tian Xiaozi’s mother had set a precedent for them despite Tian Xiaozi’s tragic demise. Yet he had enjoyed several years as the Sage Ruler; ultimately, his downfall was perhaps just due to bad luck.
Enticing the Sage Ruler successfully and bearing a son might not grant them the Sage Consort title, but their son might become the future Sage Ruler.
Motivated by such thoughts, many self-proclaimed beauties began plotting privately.
Ye You’s routine was mostly from Phoenix Palace to Jiu Hua Hall, then back to Phoenix Palace to rest after finishing official duties, often accompanied by Qin Sisi, leaving little opportunity for other women to approach him alone.
It’s not always thieves we fear, but their relentless fixation; determined ones will inevitably find a way.
Whenever such incidents occurred, Ye You would impatiently have the woman expelled from the Royal Palace.
As the number of servants decreased, new recruits would come from the civilian population, thus ensuring such women with aspirations were unlikely to disappear completely.
Ye You was repeatedly harassed, causing distress for Qin Sisi.
Feeling distraught, Qin Sisi instructed her two servants, Xiao Pei and Xiao Qian, to circulate this information covertly: the women expelled by the Sage Ruler were secretly killed by the Sage Consort, who was jealous and vicious, making a gruesome end inevitable for those attempting to seduce the Sage Ruler.
The release of this information significantly calmed the situation; although ambitions for wealth and glory are alluring, one must live to enjoy them!
Ye You also heard the rumor, initially amused, but later burdened with self-blame, realizing his inadequate actions had forced Qin Sisi to endure such defamation.
After a period of calm, an unusually confident beauty emerged, undeterred by danger, believing in the luck that if she succeeded in enticing Ye You, her life would transform drastically, shielded under Ye You’s protection, safe from the Sage Consort’s harm.
The moment this radiant beauty appeared before Ye You, his long-restrained anger finally erupted.
Striving for peace and stability, he refrained from violent actions against anyone. Yet, since Qin Sisi had sacrificed her reputation, someone still had the audacity to undermine her, deeply wounding him with regret and self-reproach.
If he couldn’t even provide her with reassurance, what right did he have to promise happiness?
Ye You unleashed a trace of Ziwei Heaven Fire to destroy the radiant beauty, ordering the incident announced throughout the Royal Palace along with a warning: should such occurrences arise again, entire households would face annihilation.
Under Ye You’s intimidating influence, all the palace servants finally behaved, aware that the Sage Consort’s jealousy might still afford them hope of protection from the Sage Ruler; but when the Sage Ruler was angry, no one could rescue them.
From this point, true tranquility returned to the Royal Palace.
