My Wife Turns Out to be an Empress of the Dynasty

Gu Lan's mysterious laughter echoed lightly, as he said, "How delightful it is to have friends come from afar... Since you're all here, why not join me for a conversation, Miss?"

As he spoke, Gu Lan gestured beside him, indicating for Shangguan Yuyang to accompany him.

However, though Shangguan Yuyang's eyes flickered, her body remained still. She was startled by Gu Lan's sudden appearance upon her arrival.

She had expected Gu Lan to take action and suppress her directly. She never imagined he would extend an invitation?!

This behavior caught Shangguan Yuyang off guard, leaving her momentarily unsure how to respond. The teleportation array was right before her eyes, yet Shangguan Yuyang dared not move.

Gu Lan, however, remained unperturbed, quietly holding the lantern and awaiting her response. Everything was under his control, and this step had been calculated well in advance, hence his calm demeanor.

"Clang clang clang!"

"Captain Jia is dead!"

"Enemies are approaching, capture them!"

A loud shout rang out. The patrolling soldiers noticed the dead bodies here and rushed over to investigate, quickly gathering around the teleportation array.

The leader of the group was a man with a small beard, clad in armor, leading his men hurriedly to the scene.

Upon seeing Gu Lan and Shangguan Yuyang, his eyes narrowed. Then, he swiftly approached Gu Lan and knelt before him, saying, "This subordinate, Jiang Tao, pays respects to Jingyang King!"

The other soldiers and monks behind him all knelt and saluted simultaneously. In the capital of the Jing Nation, Gu Lan's identity was widely known and respected.

After all, he freely entered and exited the imperial palace and was favored by the empress.

To the ignorant, his rise from a small town in Langzhou to the position of Jingyang King seemed to be solely due to his charm over the empress.

However, as time revealed the truth, those who truly knew Gu Lan understood his prowess...

The palace monks valued Gu Lan's status and, more importantly, his courage!

At the same time, the monk soldiers raised their swords, pointing them at Shangguan Yuyang. The aura on the blades surged fiercely!

For Shangguan Yuyang, breaking through the encirclement of these monks was easy. However, she dared not move as she was drawn in by Gu Lan's aura.

Faced with the encirclement, she could only stare, ready to strike at any moment. But by then, whether she could escape was uncertain!

"Sometimes... what one sees may not be the truth."

Gu Lan stared fixedly at Shangguan, then chuckled softly. At his words, including Shangguan, everyone was stunned!

However, before they could react, the soldiers who had been killed by Shangguan Yuyang just now reappeared, bowing in homage to Gu Lan one by one!

A tactic of deception.

Not only were the arriving soldiers wide-eyed in shock, but even the experienced Shangguan Yuyang appeared stiff, taking a slight step back. She looked at Gu Lan with increasingly cold and tense eyes, tinged with a hint of fear...

"Stand down, all of you."

Gu Lan's voice rang out.

"Yes!"

Jiang Tao obediently turned around and bowed, leading a large group of monks away from the vicinity of the teleportation array, including those "resurrected" guards.

The scene fell silent once again.

With the night breeze blowing gently, the two figures faced each other.

Gu Lan smiled faintly and said, "Miss, if you have the time, would you care to join me for a cup of tea? Since our parting in the palace that day, I've been eager to have a chat with you..."

A hint of surprise flickered across Shangguan Yuyang's beautiful face. The monks and soldiers had just arrived, clearly the best opportunity to capture or even kill her. Yet Gu Lan had not acted and instead invited her for tea.

Shangguan Yuyang had initially thought Gu Lan's earlier invitation was merely a gesture. Now that she realized it was sincere, she couldn't help but wonder what he was up to.

"What's the matter?"

"Scared?"

Gu Lan smiled again.

"Why should I be afraid?"

Shangguan Yuyang lifted her chin slightly, gazing at Gu Lan. She knew she couldn't escape from Gu Lan's grasp.

Struggling or fleeing might only make things worse. So, she agreed. She wanted to see what Tianji Pavilion's chief wanted to do!

Seeing Shangguan Yuyang's agreement, Gu Lan remained silent, turning and slowly walking towards the teleportation array.

He had no fear of Shangguan Yuyang launching a surprise attack from behind. Strength was his greatest asset!

Shangguan Yuyang watched his figure, her palm trembling slightly, but ultimately she dared not raise it. Gu Lan's impression of her was too formidable.

Even if Gu Lan was unguarded, his imposing presence, as if walking alongside the Dao, dispelled any notion of an ambush from Shangguan Yuyang's mind...

They walked into a small wooden cabin. It was erected by Mu Yuyan's people yesterday, knowing Gu Lan would need it today. Inside, there was only a table and two chairs.

Other than that, there was a teapot and two cups on the table. At first glance, it was clean and tranquil, soothing to the soul...

Gu Lan hung the lantern on the wall, smoothed out his clothes, and then seated himself in one of the chairs, seemingly lost in thought.

If Shangguan Yuyang hadn't felt the essence of the Dao in Gu Lan's movements, she would have thought him merely a fragile scholar...

"Please, take a seat," Gu Lan said, turning around to look at Shangguan Yuyang, his warm smile seeming to warm the heart and evoke a sense of fondness in her.

Shangguan Yuyang instinctively followed Gu Lan's gesture and sat down, watching as he poured the tea gently. The clear tea formed a stream in the cups, without spilling a drop.

Finally, Shangguan Yuyang couldn't help but ask, "Why... didn't you kill me?"

"Why should I? Have you committed any unforgivable sins since you arrived in the imperial city?"

Gu Lan countered. His arm remained steady as he placed the teapot down, smiling lightly at Shangguan Yuyang.

Since their last encounter, he knew Shangguan Yuyang would attempt to disrupt the teleportation array again, so he had waited here patiently.

Fortunately, his efforts were not in vain, as Shangguan Yuyang had arrived today!

Gu Lan harbored little resentment towards Shangguan Yuyang, nor did he entertain the thought of a life-and-death struggle with her.

A powerful and mysterious cultivator suddenly appearing must have some connection to the unfolding events in this increasingly complex novel world!

As a prudent person, even if he did plan to kill, he needed to maintain composure and ascertain the situation before acting...

This invitation was simply to verify her identity. Inviting her for tea and discussion was a "sincere" gesture. However, this sincerity had greatly unsettled Shangguan Yuyang.

Facing such a powerful individual, it was false to say she wasn't nervous. Gu Lan was so powerful that even the treasures he bestowed upon his subordinates were of immortal and divine grade, with his sword emitting a formidable aura! Such immense personal power was truly chilling!

Shangguan Yuyang had personally inspected the residual energy at the scene where Chilian was killed.

Compared to ordinary cultivators, she could sense it more clearly. It was the absolute peak power of the Emperor rank, ninth grade!

Initially, Shangguan Yuyang had regarded Gu Lan as someone of equal status to herself.

She believed that Gu Lan would deal directly with anyone who showed even a hint of hostility towards him, just like she would!

For these reasons, Shangguan Yuyang was blocked and forced here, even too nervous to drink the tea Gu Lan offered.

"Dare I ask the lady's name?" Gu Lan took a sip of tea and suddenly spoke.

Shangguan Yuyang lifted her clear gaze and said, "Shangguan Yuyang."

She couldn't figure out Gu Lan's intentions. Faced with his formidable strength, Shangguan Yuyang felt immense pressure.

However, Gu Lan's initiative in asking questions actually relieved her. There was nothing wrong with honestly answering his questions.

Besides, few knew her true name anyway. Setting aside the pressure brought by Gu Lan, there were few people as courteous as him...

This was also the main reason Shangguan Yuyang found herself sitting here with him instead of trying to find a way to escape...

Just as Shangguan Yuyang was about to continue speaking, attempting to probe Gu Lan's intentions, he spoke again.

"The... Mistress of the Yin God Palace?"

The first attempt at probing was a direct hit!

Shangguan Yuyang's clear eyes shook, her body trembling slightly. For a moment, she remained silent.

Then, she calmly reached for the teacup on the table, imitating Gu Lan's gentle sip, but said nothing. Although she appeared calm on the surface, inside, a storm was raging!

How did he guess? Well, with his abilities, it wasn't surprising... but what else did he know to ask me so directly?

Shangguan Yuyang pondered, unsure how to respond. When Gu Lan had asked just now, although Shangguan Yuyang appeared calm, her instinctive action of pouring tea revealed that she wasn't unaffected.

Combined with the information she had obtained from the Elder of the Blissful Immortal Palace earlier. Gu Lan had probably made a rough guess about her background and motives.

Although the original text did not introduce this, judging from this woman's demeanor and expression, she was most likely planning to gather the Yin God Palace again, seeking revenge for the exile years ago and aiming to return to the Immortal Realm... What other purpose could there be?