Imperial Consort Xue Xiangzhi was upset.

She was summoned to her husband's office, to know that he is annulling the Engagement between Beiyue and her nephew, Xue Che, after hearing from his children his opinions about his fiancee in school when he originally gave the boy the benefit of the doubt, until he has information. Apparently, he talks a lot, that got the Emperor veeery upset with her brother and his son.

'That...that imbecile!' she cried in anger. 'And they chose the child of a thieving murderess over a much better girl?!'

'And what genius? Xiao Yun's herbs and elixir purchases are obscene according to the Books I got from Censorate Geng!' the Emperor scoffed. 'To get to her current level of Summoner Cultivation which was 3-Star, she needed so much to fill a crate per type of supplement! A true genius wouldn't need so much! Goodness knows Zhanye's spendings for supplements before he got Kirin were a pittance in comparison! Now that, is true genius! At the next court meeting, this engagement you and Wen'er decided upon will be annulled.'

Consort Xue sighed.

'They got way too big for their trousers.' she said gloomily.

'Sad truth.' the Emperor agreed. 'Well, he got his comeuppance. That considering he bragged so much about Xiao Yun while speaking ill of Yue'er, its now known that he chose a daughter of a murderous schemer over a righteous person who is a victim of a get-rich-quick scheme, ill she may be. Yingye is quite vocal with the latest gossip.' he said. 'Well, considering only Dongling stayed by her side in four years of suffering, lucky girl got awarded all those cultivational goods taken from her half siblings for her loyalty all these years.'

'Eh? But what about her own?'

'...even I don't know what Beiyue is thinking...she merely took the beauty pills.' said the Emperor. 'Perhaps she found no use for those supplements as none of the brightest minds in Nanyi could solve the problem of her faulty dantian. She could not cultivate as what she gets, leaks away eventually, leaving her with nothing, thus settled for an academic lifestyle instead? She can still be a Scholar after all...and she only trusts Dongling with her life, thus bestowed to her a warehouse's worth of goods.' he said. 'I'd love to see how far can Dongling go with all that in a month.'

'Lucky girl indeed.' Consort Xue chuckled. She knows her own son and nephew will be jealous from the treasure trove a maid got from her lady, as a Summoner's cultivation goods has higher results than goods meant for Warriors. 'But still, she would be the kind of what girl I want for my Jing'er, status-be-damned.' she commented with a pout. 'I'd rather choose a girl with such strong loyalty and devotion...but he chose Lin Wanyi and was serious about her that people are now calling her Jing-wangfei even if you yourself didn't bestow her that title, nor are they even officially-engaged with your approval because they sure as hell don't have mine as I want better for my son. A Prince must marry a lady from a legitimately-confirmed clean background as is proper for his wangfei! A girl marrying into THE Royal House and not even I was exempt from a background check unlike that red-wearing wench who got to where she is thanks to the Grandqueen cheating on the rules!'

The office choked.

Other than Princess Royal married to a man beneath her status, denying hardworkers who FOUGHT for merits to earn the honor of marrying her, the Empress was suddenly married to the Emperor as his queen, bypassing the rules of the Inner Palace with the Grandqueen's string-pulling! The grandqueen and the Jing'an Clan earned the ire of not just the young crown prince at the time but also the other noble houses!

Things got so bad that the Grandqueen felt that she must step down for her son to take over to regain their support but he was just 'as sulky' and didn't do anything, beyond sending letters to offended clans and were allowed their protest as he was just as unhappy, as long as they use their power to protect their domains so Nanyi Country won't perish. And any letter claiming from 'him' asking for support for the capital or Jing'an is fake hence, until war ends and he was rather fatalistic with his life at the time. Princess Royal had to do real politicking since as everyone was just angry and offended.

'And we haven't learned the truth about Lin-guniang yet to approve of anything!' she harrumphed with an armfold. '...how sure are we, that she is truly what she claims to be, not a secret black-bellied girl behind closed doors while using my son for his money for her cultivation? She and her brother cannot get to where they are now with Lin Residence's salary!'

'Perhaps, we should be clear with the situation even if Jing'er will be flinty with us for a bit. Indeed, we haven't even approved of her being Jing-wangfei yet.' the Emperor agreed wryly, just as annoyed as he feared a repeat of his own marriage through rule-bypassing. As Emperor he had to set example that he wasn't anything like his mother who was a political pushover.

'Last I checked, no courting procedures happened that needed both our consent as his parents, and that of Lin Wanyi's parents, before an official announcement is made with a big celebration to match. But none of that happened so far.' he said. 'People these days, so presumptuous.' he tut-tutted in a playful manner, but his eyes showed how unhappy he is, making his manservants and Eunuch Aides gulp. 'Jing'er is still in Seclusion for breaking through a Bottleneck to become 7-star, so we'll confront him when he's out. For now, I will address where we stand at next court meeting. You can yell at your brother afterward all you like. You can even hit him if you wish.' he laughed jovially but that look on his eyes were still there, as his consort huffed.

'I really would! All his brain went mush and became his fat on his belly! I'll call Uncle Chang to put him to shape to get his brain back, if possible!'

That same time, Floating Forest...

'Missy, we got lucky so far...how'd we evade any danger?' Dongling wondered aloud.

"By using Gyo and I taught you how to use Zetsu with your cultivation." Beiyue thought wryly. She can see from far away signs of life forms through their auras. The brighter the stronger. And there's the Floating Lights that are dangerous in groups. Thus under her lead, they avoid dangerous hostile occupied places!

'I have my ways.' said Beiyue. 'You will cultivate here. There's too much competition in the city that when you train, I noted that you get a mere pittance even if its just us at home.' she said. 'That the most we accomplished in the days before their ousting, was solidifying your foundation and even then, still too slow for my liking especially when we're in a precarious situation. That's so much time wasted.' said Beiyue unhappily. 'Here in a month, we can make better progress before the new tutor comes, so make the most of this month. It helps that we're near a waterfall for this training. You'll do nothing but absorb qi, eat and sleep. I'll hone my body in this rocky area after I make food.'

'Alright...'

Dongling noted that her miss has her own ways. Her miss found a way to do martial arts just by thinking of a way out for many years while in her bed, uses a different type of energy and different techniques entirely. In the days the former masters were at home, missy claims she did 'image training in her head' and taught her to improve dodging abilities and they have set goals. Evasion Training and body training always comes first. But for advanced training, they need to hone their bodies even further to make everything else she had in mind work to avoid risk of injury.

The missy is another brand of genius who had to wait for a time of lucidity to put things to work.

And results out here, are more fruitful indeed. Back in the city, she gets a trickle and so does everyone else yet here, she can absorb a flood all to herself! She constantly breaks through every four days!

For years before her lady's death, the most she's done, was awaken her ability to access qi, forge her Spiritual Veins and Meridians. And lately while former bosses are ill, finish solidifying her Foundation by awakening her ability to absorb and condense qi in her Dantian. Progress was slow much to her annoyed lady's consternation as she saw WHY her progress is slow. To be fair, millions cultivate in the city, eh?!

And now? She's a step away, to Silver Class C. She was Bronze Class A as to be expected at her age, if one was rich.

Normally, she has to go through Body Tempering Levels first in entire childhood, to be able to break through to Bronze Class. But absorbing so much qi pretty much bulldozed past all that, in a matter of days!

For one month straight, her lady dug tunnels and hauled out dirt by herself. This is to train her entire body in one go.

'Don't diss digging and hauling out dirt.' said Beiyue wryly as they had dinner together. 'Digging trains the arms. Hauling out dirt trains the strength of also arms but includes the strength of our hips and legs. Relax even for a minute, the wheelbarrow will topple over and you start all over. It also trains stamina, endurance, and mental strength. Its my equivalent to your wearing training weights while cleaning around.' she explained on their first night in the forest.

Thus the girls trained really hard.

While Beiyue retained her control and mastery of her nen, her problem was her aura reserves that were piss-poor, and a weak body that may as well be a heated lump of metal yet to be forged into a blade.

A week into training days, the royal court meeting is usually every after lunch, for three hours. The rest is office hours for everyone else.

Thus, the Emperor ensured that Jing's and Beiyue's situation was said last. In the meantime, before Royal Court Meeting began, the emperor sent his agents in advance...so the whole city would know first, BEFORE these guys in his office, and a maid he had blab about his plans in the servants' lunch room so his kids will know before meeting even ends!

Not only that, the emperor was no fool. Through his servants, he hears gossip about officials forming factions on which prince to support for the throne already! Do they want a Civil War?!

So! He'll disturb the hornet's nest. To pit the Jing Faction against each other as well as Zhanye's Faction. This should be fun! No conspiracy will survive in his rule, he doesn't want a civil war, thank you very much!

'Now then, regardless of what the public says, neither I nor Imperial Consort Xue have agreed on Lin-guniang being Jing-wangfei for conditions aren't even met. Yet shockingly people think it's as good as solid gold when we, his own parents hardly know anything about the girl.' said the emperor, with a hard expression as Minister Lin and the Jing Faction froze. 'We cannot lead the people astray, nor should the court break any more rules. Everyone must get a fair chance hence.' that was a dig at his Empress and his father-in-law Mu Mixin who looked stony at his seat as everyone looked at Marquis Jing'an as nobody forgot how the emperor married his daughter.

'All my sons are handsome bachelors with great merits, thus for them to have wangfei, the ladies must be just-as-capable after a background check, and proper courting procedures must be met and approval between two sets of parents. We will investigate all eligible maidens at Prince Jing's age, and every maiden will get their chance. This same rule will apply for Crown Prince Zhanye and Third Prince Qilan will begin immediately and will end when each Prince graduates Lingyang College.'

'As for the princesses, proper rules as well.' the emperor continued. 'Princess Yingye is single and still young, thus eligible bachelors have plenty of time to accrue merits worth her bestowal, and Princess Beiyue, due to the nature of her situation and she is aware of the public's opinion of her, ill-deserved it may be on her end as it was a scheme by Concubine Xue, wishes to annul her engagement to Anguo Gongzi, Xue Che. She adds that she wishes him well with her former sister Xiao-erguniang and they are a good match.'

That was an insult and they all know it as Xue Yang looked ill at this point.

Everyone knows the truth about House Xiao now, and Princess Beiyue's true situation in her own home since Princess Royal died that all they know of her and Xiao Yun, was a lie. The information they have, was malicious lies spread by the good family, while she languished in a filthy shack while dangerously ill from poison! If the mother is already a scheming poisoner, what more of her daughter, until she got poisoned by accident by her good mother, eh?! And considering the Xiaos were Imperial Family until Xiao Yuancheng's and Concubine Xue's trial, they have access to information on Xiao Yun and they were shocked.

She was no genius, given her unholy spendings on cultivational supplements using Miyang's Tax Revenues! She needed a crate per type to last her a year to rise in rank to reach 3-stars, when a normal person with average talent could have reached 9 with just 1/4 of everything in her stash within the year! That's no talent, she's actually talentless!

It's a mother's duty to raise children while father provides security. Thus, like mother like daughter!

Anguo Gong is the richest duke in Nanyi Country! Hiring investigators should have been easy as pie for him and he didn't! The lesser-evil is Princess Beiyue. In fact, had he bothered to investigate, what was known days ago, would have been discovered much, much sooner! He could have been rewarded but no, what a fool!

And his son was arrogant and domineering, and speaks derisively of his fiancee, wishing to toss her aside like 'the garbage she was' openly in school. If he can treat a princess like that, what more about their own daughters who are in the duchy, or lower status than that?! Indeed, as the princess says, they suit each other!

It was a silent agreement in the room that no sane father, wants their daughter to marry Xue Che. They'd be a fool to put their daughter in his hands!

'...although she adds that she cannot return the engagement memento gift which is Anguo Gongzi's pendant, for when Princess Royal died, the Xiaos shamelessly sold everything she owned, including that pendant, so you may have to ask House Xiao for it back, so they will put the effort in retrieving it for Anguo Gong, for gongzi to gift it to Xiao-erguniang, if she survives the year. Once documentation is drafted and sealed, Princess Beiyue is just as single from this day onward.'

Like hell that's possible! It can be anywhere now! Even outside the city!

That's clearly, another blow aimed at Anguo Gong.

Anguo Gong looked ready to collapse. Is he gonna Qi Deviate after making the documentation of annulment public?

In the meantime, officials supporting Prince Jing and Zhanye began thinking in their thoughts. So Emperor and Imperial Consort haven't approved of Prince Jing with Lin Wanyi? Does this mean their daughters have a chance at becoming prince-wangfei?! This is a big opportunity they can't afford to lose!

Once court adjourned, Anguo Gong's bad day hasn't ended yet...

'Anguo-gong, imperial sister and clan elders has dropped by for a visit and wishes to see you in your residence.' a manservant reported nervously as the portly duke groaned. No doubt his sister long knows and she's here to give him hell for the annulment of his son's and Huang Beiyue's engagement as his sister and Princess Royal set it up beforehand as sworn sisters and the two were best friends...and he replaced her with a scheming poisoner, a daughter of a criminal! His family has lost face in public that his son and daughter complained about their situation in Lingyang School! But he cannot comfort his children. Plant melons, you get melons*!

'I already have a bad day and they have to be here now?!'

He had to get this over with, as in his parlor room were his very-much-cowed son in a seat like a wilted flower, and his sister looking at him coldly with their father and their uncles.

In the meantime, the first girls to know, were fathers of clan nobles who were the first to go home when court adjourned, while those still stuck with office hours, had to quickly send mail to their families, unaware that they were the first to know, and its already a crazy situation in the city.

'Father, is this true?!' Yingye cried as his children from his unwanted wife by extreme pressure Zhanye and Yingye, visited his office. These two are his Di children, while Jing and Qilan are Shu children. He loves his consorts and his children equally; he just can't stand his Empress.

'Yes. Rules must be observed. We are a royal family. We are not ordinary people.' Their father told them grimly. 'Unlike nobles and commoners who can marry anyone they wish and have parents arrange things, we don't have a say, if we want to maintain peace in our country. I'm sure you know history, what happened when your royal aunt was married to that good-for-nothing by your weak grandmother when eligible bachelors fought hard for MY approval as I set conditions, wanting the best for my sister and worked hard to earn as many merits to be worth her. And suddenly, all that work for nothing? How do you think, they must have felt?' he asked them.

'Naturally, all noble clans abandoned us, that I nearly died in war when Dongli took over Linhua City, I was taken captive and beaten. Nobody came to answer the grandqueen because I said so, as I allowed them their protest as long as they protect their granted domains, and I am willing to shoulder the price with my death to make her see sense for what she caused to happen by her weakness. That she, a royal, allowed a mere marquis to bully her around and caused misery to everyone affected by her weakness. She stepped down too late for me to take the throne as everyone at least, listens to me as I supported them and your aunt worked hard to win back the nobles over just in time when she single-handedly destroyed Dongli's army by calling the aid of Spirit Deity, and not long after Dongli it was Beiyao next. History. Study the past and do not be a fool nor be a weak-hearted pushover puppet.'

'This is why I made my stance clear in court this afternoon. I gave everyone fair chances to be wangfei, and a future gong should any eligible bachelor have enough merits worth Yingye and Beiyue.' He continued. 'This is what it means to be royalty. You must do everything 50-50 in politics for balance of power in the court, and choose the lesser evil, and find a way to tweak it in your favor. You win some, you lose some even if you yourself set the conditions. It must be absolutely fair to everyone, or its 28 years ago all over again.'

'I wish I wasn't a royal…' Yingye sniffled. 'Father, I already have someone in mind…' she choked in a heartbroken voice.

'I have someone in the past too when I was your brother's age. Yet due to our position and situation, I cannot have her. Such is our lot in life, that you're not the only one who said that very sentence, Ying'er. For your royal aunt and I bitterly said those words once ourselves.' said the emperor unhappily. 'Her childhood friend earned merits. They were almost married and your grandmother ruined her life, and consequently, your cousin who suffered unjustly.' Said the emperor bitterly as his children looked unhappy. 'As for me, I was pressured and nagged till kingdom come and cornered many times over till I caved in that for once, I wished I didn't know what filial feelings meant. That once I suffered enough, I stripped the people I despised of power when my anger burned.'

'It is why I began ruling with an iron fist while still a fair and just emperor. This thankless job makes you walk on a tightrope in a forever balancing act. You will learn this soon, when you graduate Lingyang College, Zhanye. For fools outside our palace who think being a royal will give you luxury and comfort it entails for free, what fools they are.'

'…yes, father.' Zhanye sighed heavily. He understood, but that doesn't mean that he likes nor wants it… 'How is Beiyue?'

'She has traces of poison that she is in a lifelong state of feverish symptoms, but at least, she will not die nor will her future children be affected by her poisoning. Her poison amount is minuscule on purpose to prevent suspicion, but jokes on Concubine Xue…her lust for money that wasn't ever hers to make Xiao Yun stand out made her thankfully careless that we know the full truth now. But the damages are long done, that left her very bitter with everyone.' He told them.

'Lies are made truth by poison. Everyone listened to those lies and abandoned her, a victim of a schemer's greed doomed to die exploited and abused, if not for heaven giving her what she needs for justice. Thus, she no longer cares. As far as she is concerned, only I and her maid are her only family in this world. Everyone else can go hang and die. Her words. I'm having trouble finding her a tutor as it is as a result, who still believes the lies of the Xiao.'

His children fell silent.

And now, after a month?

'Hmmm! A month out here is indeed fruitful.' Beiyue mused as she saw improvement in her skinny body that was like a twig, but now, days of eating boiled grain, goose eggs and later improved diet, she gained some muscle under her skin and burned off all her baby fat. She lost inches as a result.

Looks like she'll readjust her dresses.

Dongling really wondered when her lady had TIME to process everything. The food they eat was strictly-controlled by her...as in, they eat plenty of what she wants for their bodies to grow strong. And she's the one doing the cooking as of late, but Dongling still does everything else. But still, changes are coming so fast as if she's swept away by a flood. She never felt so strong in her life!

They returned home to Nanyi Country after a bath, entering the city at night, informing the Emperor by a letter that they're back home and asked if a tutor was around, he regretfully said that not yet, thus Beiyue replied they will go back to training next day.

Thus back to the forest they went.

And back home after second month?

Dongling's Qi levels, are now Gold Class C. She also endured training from hell with her lady as after digging tunnels that soon became home to weaker monsters, they took to 'swimming against the currents' in another watery location where the currents is so fast it may as well be a flow of mud in floods. That, and as the first month of snow frost ended giving way to Spring, the water is still cold as hell. Mastery of Movement in an uneven terrain like the forest, Parkour, Gymnastics, Balance Training, and Agility Training as Meteor City isn't exactly a straight road, and is much more unpredictable than the forest as mounds of trash isn't exactly stable nor will stepping on anything guarantee you stable footing. A forest is much kinder, compared to that!

She also subjected Dongling to Digging Training.

As for Beiyue, she gained more muscle and shape. Drawing on her 40% Reinforcement while using Shu and Ken all the time, made her body heal and stronger against the trace poison in her body. And she had Dongling help her purge it out with her qi on her guidance in a high-stakes gamble where a mistake is not allowed, just so Beiyue can flush the poison along with her ruined blood, out of her pores. Effectively curing her to their relief. If you can't counter poison with a cure in a pill, why not purge it out instead?

Nobody thought of Beiyue's kind of method.

Dongling cried tears of joy, staining her shirt with tears and snot. But she was truly happy for her.

She was basically why Pakunoda's heart softens, if only around Dongling.

It was also why she was bitter. That if her comrades, those boys, and Dongling can treat her right, why can't her own past life parents, whoever heck they are, that she was dumped in Meteor City at birth?

'Dongling, now that our bodies are forged, with a great deal in progress...its time for combat training.' said Beiyue. 'Though by anyone's standards it can't be called that as survival is on the line...it'd be more...apt...to call it murder training.'

'Eh?!' Dongling went slack-jawed.

'We are still in a dangerous position even if my name is cleared with royal uncle's backing, but once waters are tested, people will dare to harm us, as it's just us in this estate.' said Beiyue. 'Things like fair fight is bullshit. What matters, is we survive, and our hopeful killers, dead by our hands first. Things like Honorable Fights only happen in strict, set conditions with hundreds of witnesses. Outside that? Kill or be killed in our case.'

In her younger years in the past, as an Information Specialist, she was trained in Evasion. Stealth and Infiltration. Disguise. Hacking. Breaking and Entry and leave no trace. And naturally, endure interrogation and NOT break. Females were taught with their bodies, that she, Machi and Shizuku don't count as virgins any more even if their fields and training are different. After that, Combat Training and Assassination Techniques.

The first thing she did, was train Dongling in Dodging, Reaction Time, Reflexes, and Instinct. She started slow first, in order to adapt. Her body, and her mind. They take turns to hone their bodies in this training as during dodging, Dongling learns from countless repeats of Beiyue's attacks. If she fails to dodge, she gets hurt, and likewise, but training is training. Besides, they have numerous medicine on stash!

After Evasion Training is Iron Shirt Training...OUCH!

And mind-breaking Repetition Training with full power, speed and force to a Spider's standards. So their bodies will be capable of performing it. For the entire Spring. That, and every month, they do General Cleaning, each girl with half of the estate to deal with. With this training, Dongling will gain a strong mind and willpower, as defense against magics that affect the mind. That was the basic of basics, and the rest up to Dongling's fighting spirit.

But one day, during training dressed in black training garments, they got a letter from a Eunuch who saw Beiyue in what looks like a ninja outfit(not that they'd know what it was). A sleeveless shirt, and trousers tucked into boots.

'What is it?' Beiyue asked the Eunuch.

'Princess, His Majesty hopes that you will attend the Annual Spring Banquet for when you feel better next month.' said the Eunuch.

'Not interested.' said Beiyue coolly. 'I'm a busy woman here, I don't have time for frivolities and deal with double-faced people, not when I have seen their true natures when the Xiaos fed them lies about me all my life. That is my word. Had it been his birthday, then I will attend despite all the animals present.' the Eunuch squirmed at how cold she looked and sounded, that he cannot imagine the princess capable of such, along with incredible pressure. And despite having no qi, she has...something else that's not qi. But strong for her age.

Her only maid Dongling is 13 years old, yet a Gold Class C level! What quick rise!

'Understood.' the Eunuch bowed and then left.

The Eunuch returned to relay Beiyue's words to the Emperor, and what he observed of Beiyue and her maid Dongling.

Their arms that have toned muscle like that of Princess Yingye, proof they were training. But the Eunuch has no idea what to call Beiyue's energy as it was different from Qi. He had no words to put it. But her level is that of a Bronze Class in terms of qi capacity, compared to her maid whose rise as astronomical.

'...she invested in Dongling, the only person she trusts with her life. That gap, while unacceptable for me as a worried uncle, I understand...with great reluctance.'

This pained the old man.

'I will pay them a visit tonight.' and he sent a different eunuch to do so.