“Sister?”
Such an intimate address made the Emperor of Jin instantly guess the relationship between the people in Zhou Manor and Xī Yuè.
As for whether Zhōu Qīngxuě and Madam Luo would lie, under the Flower God's watch, they probably wouldn't be so bold, right?
After some thought, the Emperor of Jin withdrew his decree and prepared to find someone to probe Zhōu Xīyuè's thoughts.
Since they couldn't enter Zhou Manor, and as emperors they couldn't possibly stand outside Zhou Manor indefinitely, they left grandly with their retinue after waiting for a while.
The Emperor of Jin left some people to guard the entrance to Zhou Manor. Although no one could enter Zhou Manor now, so there was no need to worry about its safety, he still had to show his attentiveness to the Flower God. Of course, it was also to prevent those with ulterior motives from trying to please the Flower God.
Not long after, Eunuch De arrived at Zhou Manor's entrance with a long procession of gifts.
The Yuan Kingdom had already sent heavy gifts, so the Jin Kingdom naturally couldn't fall behind.
With such a large commotion, the remaining kingdoms quickly sent their gifts. This was followed by all the princes and ministers of the Jin Kingdom, especially the ladies and wives who were close to Madam Luo and Zhōu Qīngxuě, all of whom sent calling cards.
But Zhou Manor was now enveloped in a golden light. Apart from the people of Zhou Manor who could move freely, no one from the outside could get in.Seeing that many ladies who used to look down on her were now sending invitations, Madam Luo looked up and let out a soft hum: "They looked down on us before, and now they're so fawning.
What do they think Zhou Manor is!"
Zhōu Qīngxuě quickly nodded in agreement beside her, "Exactly! From now on, they'll be the ones trying to curry favor with us. We'll only respond to these invitations when we're in the mood."
Madam Luo nodded and instructed the maidservant outside, "Prepare the carriage, we have a banquet to attend!"
Zhōu Qīngxuě suddenly turned to look at Madam Luo.
Madam Luo pulled her along, saying, "You're coming with me. All the talented young men from various kingdoms have arrived in the Capital City. This is a good opportunity for you to look for a husband. Also, those you're keeping on the outside, quickly send them away. Don't let it affect your sister's reputation."
Thinking of Qū Zǐyǎn, whom she had just acquired, Zhōu Qīngxuě was reluctant. "Mother, I'm the Flower God's sister. What's wrong with keeping some male companions?"
She said this with a lack of confidence.
Madam Luo snorted coldly and dragged her out the door.
As soon as the Flower God's identity was confirmed, the Emperor had the women in the palace with the same name as the Flower God sent away.
The common people also rushed towards Zhou Manor, but they couldn't even get close to the streets near it. They were all strictly guarded by the Emperor's personal guards. The artisans also began to carve the missing statue in the Flower God Temple built in the Capital City.
Although Zhōu Xīyuè hadn't shown her face much since returning to the Capital, her appearance was not bad, so many people remembered her. At this time, many painters were searching for those who had seen Zhōu Xīyuè's face and, based on their descriptions, painted the future Flower God's likeness, which officials and wealthy merchants purchased at exorbitant prices. Within a day, the news that the Flower God was the second daughter of the Zhou family spread throughout the streets and alleys of the Capital City. Some people couldn't sit still.
Xī Yuè sat on the clouds, looking at a figure skulking towards Zhou Manor a few streets away, and gently beckoned with her finger. The person instantly appeared on the clouds. From standing on solid ground to suddenly standing on nothing, the masked figure was filled with panic and let out a startled cry of fear. Fortunately, they were high enough above the ground, and the domain blocked the sound, so it couldn't reach the ground. After the man in black had screamed enough and realized he wasn't falling, he timidly looked around. He saw Xī Yuè sitting on a cloud several heads higher than him. In the soft, hazy moonlight, a beautiful woman in a pink-purple dress sat on a cloud emitting a gentle silver-white glow. Anyone would be momentarily dazed. But the man in black only felt fear. Within the domain, even with a mask, Xī Yuè could easily discern his face. Then, after rummaging through Zhōu Xīyuè's memories for a long time, she recalled who this person was. Before she could speak, he had already knelt down to beg for mercy. "I was wrong, please spare me, Younger Sister Yue!"
It was Zhū Yǒngshàn, the son of the Zhu couple who raised poultry on the estate where Zhōu Xīyuè grew up. The Zhu couple was employed by Zhou Manor, not its servants. After working for Zhou Manor for many years, they had saved up a considerable fortune. Zhū Yǒngshàn lived on the estate when he was young, and could be considered a childhood friend of Zhōu Xīyuè. Although Zhōu Xīyuè was the second daughter of Zhou Manor, the family had never inquired about her for many years. While she was a noble daughter, she was effectively abandoned and lived no differently than an ordinary girl on the estate. As they spent more time with her and cared for her like a daughter, the Zhu couple even considered trying to match her with Zhū Yǒngshàn if Zhou Manor continued to ignore her. After all, being abandoned by her biological father for over a decade to fend for herself, her important life events were probably of no concern to anyone. A young woman without support behind her might attract unwanted attention. However, Zhū Yǒngshàn, upon turning sixteen, suddenly yearned for the outside world and left without a word, packing his bags. He was gone for four years. Over these four years, the Zhu couple had given up on matching him with Zhōu Xīyuè. After all, Zhōu Xīyuè grew more beautiful with age, and Zhū Yǒngshàn seemed to be beneath her in every way. But Zhū Yǒngshàn didn't know that he had met a girl outside whom he adored and swore to marry. Therefore, the moment he returned, he intended to make the Zhu couple abandon their years-old plan. He bought a box of pastries, added some medicine, and planned to feign death after eating them to scare the Zhu couple. However, the woman he liked suddenly felt unwell, and Zhū Yǒngshàn hurried to find someone. It was at this time that someone from Zhou Manor came to pick Zhōu Xīyuè up to return. The Zhu couple went to see her off and happened to carry the pastries from the table with them. By the time Zhū Yǒngshàn found out, it was too late. The pastries wouldn't kill, but Zhōu Xīyuè's frail body, combined with consuming food that conflicted with the poison, was overwhelming. Thinking of the Zhu couple, who had taken care of the original owner, Xī Yuè raised her hand and sent Zhū Yǒngshàn away. She was not qualified to speak for the original owner's forgiveness, but punishing Zhū Yǒngshàn for this, or killing him, seemed unwarranted. After all, he had no intention of harming anyone, nor did he intend to harm Zhōu Xīyuè. It could only be said that it was a series of unfortunate coincidences. Only by fulfilling the original owner's wish could it be resolved. After the Flower God's identity was confirmed, faith values began to converge towards Xī Yuè continuously, with statistics provided by the System. The domain also had enough faith values to continue expanding. On the fifteenth day of the second lunar month, the day of deification, snow fell heavily, and the entire city emptied into the streets.