The Demon Lord Relied on His Imagination to Get Together with the Protagonist. - Chapter 99

Chapter 99

For the past few months, the Imperial Advisor always felt that something was amiss with Tong Siqing, but she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was.

The girl was clearly still very obedient and well-behaved, and she hadn’t talked back to her again.

Yet, she felt a profound unease in her heart.

So, for a long time, she deliberately neglected Tong Siqing. She waited until she thought enough time had passed before going to find her in the dark one night.

Before entering, this stubborn and arrogant Imperial Advisor had prepared several possible lines, such as what she should say when Tong Siqing cried to quickly console her, or if necessary, to just abandon all restraint and let her cry even louder.

They hadn’t seen each other for some time.

The Imperial Advisor felt a slight pang of self-reproach and regret. She thought, Perhaps I’ve been too hard on Tong Siqing. Keeping her locked up isn’t a long-term solution.

Forget it.

The Imperial Advisor suddenly hesitated. She had originally intended to check up on Tong Siqing while she was unprepared because of her suspicions, but once she reached the door, a trace of remorse surfaced.

Just as she was feeling regretful, she saw a suspicious figure not far away.

“Who’s there?” The Imperial Advisor turned around, looking in that direction with an irritable mood.

There’s a person with such suspicious behavior in my palace? The Imperial Advisor was displeased and walked towards that person with her entourage.

Shi Zhihua stood right there, neither hiding nor deliberately concealing herself.

“Prime Minister You?” The Imperial Advisor recognized the person as the recently famous Prime Minister You, highly favored by the Emperor. Since this newly appointed Prime Minister You was too troublesome to deal with, the Imperial Advisor didn’t particularly want to clash with her. She softened her tone, asking, “If Prime Minister You has an urgent matter, perhaps you could wait for a moment? I need to attend to some private affairs.”

Shi Zhihua gave a fake smile, looking at her: “What urgent matter requires consultation with the High Priestess of our court?”

The Imperial Advisor was about to invent an excuse when her heart suddenly tightened.

She realized a problem—How did Prime Minister You know the High Priestess was in my palace?

This news was kept completely secret. How did Prime Minister You find out?

The Imperial Advisor’s face instantly turned cold: “Prime Minister You is absurd. How could the High Priestess be in my palace?”

Despite saying this, she secretly signaled to a subordinate behind her back. The subordinate immediately took the order, silently retreating to move the High Priestess.

Shi Zhihua had navigated the mortal world for years. How could such simple tricks deceive her? She immediately blocked the person, then asked with a forced smile: “Imperial Advisor, isn’t it inappropriate to hide the High Priestess in your palace? Didn’t you say the High Priestess is sacred and unapproachable? Why do you lack the virtue of ‘strict self-discipline’ when it comes to yourself?”

Seeing that she could not conceal it any longer, the Imperial Advisor stopped pretending. Her heroic features looked coldly at Shi Zhihua: “What does Prime Minister You mean? Are you trying to threaten me with this? Do you need to seek benefits from me?”

Shi Zhihua smiled: “What benefits could I want? I don’t want anything.”

Imperial Advisor: “Ha—”

She didn’t believe it. This Prime Minister You was rumored to be the power behind the pleasure house. She had always thrived in the world of power. In recent months, for some unknown reason, the leader of the pleasure house, who lacked neither power nor wealth, had entered the court. Furthermore, the Emperor trusted her greatly and even promoted her to the position of Prime Minister.

It had taken the Imperial Advisor more than ten years to reach her position, while this person only took a few months.

She was naturally unconvinced.

In her eyes, this Prime Minister You was nothing but a sycophant.

Originally, she and Shi Zhihua had maintained a distance. Now, this sycophant dared to reach into her territory. That was far too bold.

The Imperial Advisor looked up: “Prime Minister You is also a shrewd person. Since we’ve reached this point, there’s no need to speak in riddles. Yes, the High Priestess is here with me. But as her mentor, is there any reason why she shouldn’t be? My relationship with her is pure. We have done nothing wrong, and I’m not afraid of you. If you are trying to use this as an opportunity to gain some advantage, I am not so obsessed with wealth. I hear your pleasure house loves money, so I will consider it money spent to avert disaster and allocate a sum of silver to you…”

“The pleasure house loves money, but it is not lacking in wealth,” Shi Zhihua looked at her. “I just wonder, how can someone be such a mentor, locking the High Priestess up for months on end? Aren’t you afraid she’ll be heartbroken?”

The Imperial Advisor shifted her gaze: “She doesn’t like going out.”

“Really?” Shi Zhihua asked. “Does she not like going out, or do you not let her out?”

Imperial Advisor: “…”

She was quite speechless. What is wrong with Prime Minister You today, insisting on coming to my palace to interrogate me? What does any of this have to do with her? I’ve been completely honest. If she wants anything, I can find a way to give it to her, just to shut her up.

Yet, she not only refuses to state her terms but keeps pressing me.

“Daring to be so presumptuous on my territory,” the Imperial Advisor sneered. “Prime Minister You is quite bold. Aren’t you afraid you won’t be able to leave?”

This was something Shi Zhihua genuinely wasn’t afraid of.

Although she had no cultivation in the path of mortals, she had transformed from a demonic beast. Those ruthless, murderous skills were still ingrained in her. She could even enter the palace gates at night without much trouble.

This small Imperial Advisor’s palace was not enough to trap her.

Since intentionally intimidating Shi Zhihua earlier, the Imperial Advisor had been observing the other party’s expression. When she noticed the other party wasn’t nervous, she knew Shi Zhihua had come prepared, so she didn’t dare to act rashly and found a way to back down: “Just a joke, Prime Minister You, don’t be alarmed. If you don’t believe my words, you can go and ask the High Priestess. She would certainly be willing.”

Of course.

The Imperial Advisor dared to say this because she knew Tong Siqing would obey her every word.

From the day she found her, Tong Siqing had trusted her unconditionally.

Why?

The reason was simple. Tong Siqing had been abandoned, and being abandoned, she was oblivious to it, stubbornly searching the world for that person. The Imperial Advisor knew this was impossible, so she deliberately lied, telling the girl she could find the person, as long as the girl obeyed her unconditionally.

Tong Siqing nodded and never again entertained thoughts of rebellion.

The Imperial Advisor said to Shi Zhihua: “To prevent Prime Minister You from claiming I coerced her, Prime Minister You may go in first and ask the person.”

Shi Zhihua was more than happy for her to be absent.

She immediately pushed the door open to see her rabbit—Shi Zhihua hadn’t seen her for a long time and missed her greatly.

However, she hadn’t deliberately neglected the girl. Instead, she had been busy entering the court and political arena. Only by ascending to the court could she gain enough power to contend with the Imperial Advisor for the girl and have more influence.

Consequently, she couldn’t manage both ends and had to neglect the rabbit temporarily.

The moment she was done, she openly rushed to the Imperial Advisor’s residence to find her.

She wanted to take the rabbit home.

Now, she pushed the door in, but instead of the expected greeting, she saw the other person sitting by the couch, seemingly preoccupied.

Shi Zhihua curiously lifted the bead curtain and slowly walked over.

Then, she saw the person by the couch turn her head, revealing a slightly protruding belly.

Shi Zhihua: !!!

What is this!

Tong Siqing glanced at Shi Zhihua, with no extra emotion in her eyes, but her next words were enough to terrify anyone.

Tong Siqing gently touched her belly, speaking to herself: “Child, your mother has come to see you.”

Shi Zhihua: “…”

The question is, both the rabbit and I are women. How did this child come about!

Tong Siqing looked up at her: “The child is yours. Why won’t you acknowledge her?”

Shi Zhihua was stunned.

She stood frozen on the spot until…

The Imperial Advisor also entered from outside the door.

The Imperial Advisor, oblivious to the truth, called out from afar: “Has Prime Minister You asked? I did not force her to do anything, anything, anyth—”

The Imperial Advisor was also stunned.

Upon seeing Tong Siqing’s belly, her vision swam, and she almost fainted. She grabbed a subordinate’s arm, collecting herself: “Where did this child come from? Whose is it?”

Neither of them were Tong Siqing herself, so naturally, they didn’t know that Tong Siqing didn’t have a child in her belly at all. She had merely stuffed some clothing under her dress to fake a belly.

As for why she would do this, the reason was simple.

Tracing the roots—it had to be blamed on Heavenly Venerable Sheng Wen.

When her father had enlightened her, in order to instill intelligence and open her mind, he also poured some outdated, conservative etiquette and morality into her head.

In her understanding, adultery was wrong, and even if one were to be unfaithful, it had to be done in secret, without being discovered.

Moreover, the moral teachings said that many sheltered women who met with their lovers daily would inevitably become pregnant with the other party’s child.

She didn’t know that those moral teachings were just meant to scare people. So, when she applied the scenario to herself, she never considered the issue of whether two women could have a child.

And she genuinely loved children. She automatically fantasized herself as the woman having a secret affair with her lover. Shi Zhihua was her beloved, and the Imperial Advisor was the villain blocking their way.

Now, she needed to be pregnant and plead with the Imperial Advisor, hoping the other party would be merciful and let her and the child leave.

The moral dramas all portrayed it this way.

Tong Siqing firmly believed it.

Tong Siqing looked at the two equally shocked people, held her belly, and then pointed at Shi Zhihua, telling the Imperial Advisor: “The child is hers and mine.”

Imperial Advisor: ???

What does that mean?

Wait, when did these two get together?

No, how did she get pregnant?

Does she think I’m an idiot? Am I that easily fooled?

Shi Zhihua was also baffled. I haven’t seen the rabbit for just a few days, and she’s produced a child?

The Imperial Advisor and Prime Minister You exchanged glances, both seeing a green light flashing above the other’s head.

“Who was it! Who has come to see the High Priestess!” The Imperial Advisor roared, immediately demanding a thorough investigation into the person who got the girl pregnant. “Interrogate every person on duty thoroughly. If you can’t find that scoundrel, all of you will die.”

After saying this, she calmed herself down and spoke to Shi Zhihua in a tone somewhat resembling an apology: “The High Priestess has been unwell lately, and her mind is somewhat unclear. She has accidentally offended Prime Minister You. I hope Prime Minister You…”

As soon as Shi Zhihua heard her words, she knew the Imperial Advisor mistakenly thought Tong Siqing’s pregnancy was the work of a guard, which coincidentally exonerated her. While Shi Zhihua was shocked, she understood Tong Siqing. The girl’s belly couldn’t possibly have grown this large in such a short time, and it hadn’t been that long since she last visited her. Calculating the dates, it didn’t look like a pregnancy.

There must be some misunderstanding here.

No. If I retreat now, this Imperial Advisor will surely make things difficult for the rabbit.

Shi Zhihua thought for a moment, then spoke up, taking responsibility: “Imperial Advisor, the High Priestess is right. The child is ours. I will petition His Majesty to properly resolve this matter.”

Imperial Advisor: ???

What is happening? Why did this person suddenly claim the child?

At this moment, it was a test of who understood Tong Siqing more. Since the Imperial Advisor hadn’t visited the girl for a long time, she mistakenly believed Tong Siqing had truly been intimate with someone and was pregnant. Furthermore, she didn’t fully trust Tong Siqing, so she took the “child” as real.

Shi Zhihua, who knew the truth, was unconcerned. She naturally followed the topic, publicly acknowledging her relationship with Tong Siqing, completely blindsiding the Imperial Advisor with a shock.

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