[010] The Palace Has the Capital to Go Mad
Zhonghua was well aware that the situation had reached a critical juncture, a moment demanding a decisive choice.
Between Crown Princess Li Luoluo and Second Princess Li Yaoyao, he had to make a decision.
A glint of resolve flickered in Zhonghua’s eyes. He hesitated for hardly a moment before firmly choosing the now seemingly transformed Crown Princess.
Ever since Li Luoluo had asserted her dominance over him for such an extended period, he realized that she had undergone a complete transformation.
The once spoiled, willful image of her had completely vanished, replaced by an aura of control, wisdom, and decisiveness.
During their brief interactions, Zhonghua keenly sensed that the Crown Princess harbored a massive secret within her.
That secret was like a magnet emanating a mysterious light, irresistibly drawing him in.
He knew that to uncover this secret, he would have to stay close to the Crown Princess.
Only by remaining by her side could he observe, investigate, and unravel the layers of mystery that shrouded her.
So he quietly resolved that no matter how difficult or dangerous the path ahead, he would follow her closely, step by step, to lift the veil of mystery—and then deliver the fatal blow to her.
“Very well, Lu’er. Your mother will give you an explanation.”
“Now that you are getting along so harmoniously with your prospective mates, I feel relieved.”
“As for those who have falsely accused you, I will make sure to expose them and punish them severely.”
Having spoken, the Empress swept away with a flourish, leaving not a cloud behind.
In the shadows, Li Yaoyao’s face darkened with rage. She slapped Zhilan across the face. “Idiot! If you leave even a trace, letting anyone trace it back to me, you know what to do, right?”
She had decided to sacrifice the pawn to protect the key piece, letting Zhilan take the fall for her.
In the Xiaoyao Palace, Li Luoluo shed her disguise. Her cat-like eyes glinted sharply as she fixed her gaze on Hua Qingcheng, Tuoba Jinghao, Huo Snian, and Zhonghua. Her words fell deliberately:
“Hua Qingcheng, Tuoba Jinghao, Huo Snian, Zhonghua—you’ve seen it yourselves. This palace has the capital to go mad.”
“No matter what I do or say, as long as Mother Empress doesn’t catch me in the act, I can turn black into white.”
“Have you thought it through? Will you stay by my side, or go back to wherever you came from?”
With a powerful leap, she sat on the chair the Empress had just vacated, her presence awe-inspiring.
Even Bei Mingye couldn’t help but turn his gaze, his black eyes fixed on Li Luoluo, his heart pounding in that moment.
He admitted that Bei Mingheng was useless—he would have to step in himself—but he felt a flicker of resistance.
Yet now, he unexpectedly realized that the once reckless Crown Princess had changed completely; not only was she decisive and fearless, but her strength was such that even he felt wary.
Hua Qingcheng quickly assumed his beast form and approached Li Luoluo, kneeling halfway before her. His furry head pressed into her soft hand, his voice soft and seductive:
“Your Highness, in life I am yours; in death, I am your ghost.”
“Even if you send me into fire and water, I would not hesitate for a moment.”
Having witnessed Li Luoluo’s power, Hua Qingcheng’s heart was completely captured. He willingly became a blade in her hand, ready to strike at whomever she commanded.
Li Luoluo was pleased with his loyalty and waved her hand lightly.
An invisible force lifted Hua Qingcheng, leaving him astonished and grateful. He quickly took his place behind her, massaging her shoulders and back with utmost devotion.
Tuoba Jinghao transformed into a silver wolf, majestic and proud, a stark contrast to his previously low-profile demeanor.
Seeing the ten-tailed white fox submit, he shed his shock and assumed the form of the noble Silver Wolf King before Li Luoluo.
Lowering his lofty head, his furry paws pressed to the ground in submission:
“Your Highness, I, Tuoba Jinghao, swear to the Beast God that I will follow you to the death.”
“If I harbor any betrayal, I will die, and the wolf clan will be annihilated.”
He swore a deadly oath, betting the fate of his entire clan.
He sensed that missing this opportunity to demonstrate loyalty would cost him the chance to remain by the Crown Princess’s side forever.
Huo Snian and Zhonghua, seeing this, dared not delay another second.
They transformed into their beast forms: a proud eagle and a majestic, powerful white tiger, appearing before Li Luoluo and eliciting a look of astonishment from her, her heart pounding wildly.
Huo Snian’s deep eyes were fixed on her: “Your Highness, from now on, this life belongs to you.”
It was the eagle clan’s unique way of expressing devotion. Facing the dramatically changed Crown Princess, he dared not be careless.
Zhonghua, too, met her probing gaze calmly, lips pressed into a faint smile: “Your Highness, me too.”
Since these previously wavering ones had declared themselves, it would be safe for him to follow suit.
Rather than recklessly courting death, he preferred to live to fight another day.
Li Luoluo smiled with satisfaction. With a glance, the palace gates of Xiaoyao Palace closed, blocking all the hidden eyes in the shadows.
Li Yaoyao, spying from afar, could no longer observe a thing inside.
Yet she saw with her own eyes how those who had once professed love for her—Hua Qingcheng, Tuoba Jinghao, Huo Snian, and Zhonghua—had all turned, pledging loyalty to her “good sister.”
The betrayal almost drove Li Yaoyao into a rage, ready to storm Xiaoyao Palace for a deadly confrontation.
Just as her blood boiled and she was about to act recklessly, someone grabbed her, whisking her away swiftly.
Li Luoluo, meanwhile, gently placed her hands on the furry forms before her, stroking them without restraint, here and there.
At first, they resisted, unsure of her touch on their beast forms.
But in the next instant, they realized that the Crown Princess’s hands seemed to possess a miraculous power!
Wherever her hands brushed, they felt comfort so profound that even their pores relaxed, their fur standing on end in submission.
Their growing mania and restlessness began to vanish, little by little.
They all looked at her in shock, unable to comprehend.
The mental comfort that usually required pairing male and female animals, the Crown Princess achieved just by stroking their fur with her hands!
Sensing their abnormal reaction, Bei Mingye, as the Crown Princess’s sole bonded mate, refused to be outdone. He swiftly assumed his beast form, sweeping the distracted others aside with his massive tail, positioning his enormous body before the Crown Princess to assert his claim.
