Zhou Zhiruo was obviously a little surprised, and subconsciously shook her head, “No.”
Seeing the surprised looks in the two women’s eyes, Zhang Wuji stood with his hands behind his back and calmly said, “People change.”
“People do change.” Zhao Min snorted, obviously not in the mood to argue with him about this issue like Zhou Zhiruo. Her expression became solemn and her voice turned cold, “First question!”
Zhang Wuji nodded and motioned for her to continue.
“You promised me back then that if I abandon my identity as a Mongolian princess, you would also abandon your identity as the leader of the Ming Cult. We would live in seclusion together…” A gentle smile appeared on Zhao Min’s face, and then her face turned as dark as swamp water, “Why did you break that promise?”
Zhang Wuji sighed, and spoke up with a helpless look on his face, “You also know that after the former leader of the Ming Cult, Yang Dingtian disappeared, the Ming Cult fell into pieces and was almost wiped out by the six major sects. If I let things continue like that, what would happen to the newly unified Ming Cult? Wouldn’t they get scattered again? The current world is different from the past. There are now many great powers in the Western Region. As long as the Ming Cult shows any signs of weakness, it will be swallowed up by the surrounding forces. How can I put so many good brothers in danger because of my own selfish interests?”
Song Qingshu in the shade of the tree couldn’t help but be startled. ‘Does this mean that Zhang Wuji is still an upright hero? I have encountered his despicable side several times. Then could it be that his actions are similar to what I did with Wei Xiaobao?’
“Self-interest?” Zhao Min smiled bitterly, “For you, I betrayed my bloodline, betrayed Mongolia, betrayed my father and brother…in the end, all I get is a word that you didn’t want to act in your own self-interest?”
“Minmin, I know you have sacrificed too much for me,” Zhang Wuji hesitated, “So I will never hurt anyone in the Ruyang Palace in this life…”
Zhao Min directly interrupted, “Hmph, there are hundreds of thousands of elite soldiers under the command of Prince Ruyang. Why would I need you to spare my father and my brother? Remember, you once fell into the hands of Prince Ruyang, and if I hadn’t disregarded my honor and lied about being pregnant with your flesh and blood, you’d be dead! Can you still stand here and say these big words?”
Zhang Wuji stayed silent for a long time, “Minmin, I will always remember your sacrifice…if I can dominate the world in the future, the position of the Empress will belong to you.”
Zhou Zhiruo’s face changed slightly.
Although the expression was not obvious, it was still caught by Zhao Min. She looked meaningfully in the direction of Song Qingshu and sneered, “What about your sister Zhiruo?”
Zhang Wuji quickly replied, “I was suffering from cold poison in my body when I was young, and I had lost all hope. Fortunately, my sister Zhiruo persuaded me to rekindle my fighting spirit to survive. I will never forget this kindness, so I will set up two Empresses in the east and west palaces in the future, it will be your joint responsibility.”
After listening to Zhang Wuji mention their past history, Zhou Zhiruo suddenly seemed a little disappointed, but when she heard the words about the East and West Palaces, she couldn’t help but frown and said, “Although I don’t know what happened between you two, but don’t involve me in your quarrel. I am now a married woman, so please respect yourself.”
“Leader Zhou, you will be glad that you expressed your position so clearly like this in the future.” Zhao Min was full of emotions. She didn’t know whether Zhou Zhiruo’s words were sincere or she was just pretending to be cold. But Song Qingshu listened to everything she said today.
After tonight, the relationship between the two would probably take a further step forward.
“What do you mean?” Zhou Zhiruo has always disliked Zhao Min, especially her mysterious and proud demeanor.
“It’s nothing,” Zhao Min smiled faintly, “Actually, no matter what you think in your heart, I still want to advise you, just listen to Zhang Wuji’s words and forget it. If you take it seriously, it would be stupid.”
Seeing that her love rival for many years was frustrated, Zhou Zhiruo couldn’t help but jokingly say, “The Princess abandoned everything for him, but was abandoned by him instead, so naturally you won’t have any good comments about him.”
“Who said he abandoned me? It was obviously me who left on my own initiative!” Zhao Min said angrily, “Do you really think that he is making such a promise to you because he remembered the kindness of the past?”
Zhou Zhiruo was stunned and was speechless for a long while.
Zhang Wuji’s face darkened, “Minmin, What nonsense are you talking about!”
“Am I talking nonsense?” Zhao Min smiled sadly, “Sometimes I really hate myself for why I have to be so smart, otherwise I would be kept in the dark my whole life and live happily with you… “
The abnormality of the two people made Zhou Zhiruo’s doubts reappear. She had wanted to leave long ago, but there was a voice in her mind, asking her to stay and see what happened.
Seeing Zhou Zhiruo looking at him doubtfully, Zhang Wuji pretended to be calm and said to Zhao Min, “I know you have always been smart, but it’s better not to speculate on many things.”
Zhao Min smiled proudly, “I, Min Min Temur, have always been thorough with anything I do. If I hadn’t really found the evidence, how could I have accused you for some groundless things?”
Seeing Zhang Wuji’s face change slightly, Zhou Zhiruo could no longer suppress the doubts in her heart and asked, “What is it?”
Zhao Min watched as Zhang Wuji’s expression changed, and a cruel smile flashed at the corner of her lips, “You have to ask yourself first…is Master Zhou’s father really an ordinary fisherman on the edge of the Han River?”
Zhou Zhiruo’s face turned pale. Her life experience was unknown to the world, and only a few people knew that she still remembered Zhang Sanfeng’s warning and nodded without hesitation, “Of course!”
“How could an ordinary fisherman’s girl have such an elegant and refined name as Zhiruo? The word Zhiruo is found in “Liezi” and “Zixu Fu” by Sima Xiangru, how could an ordinary fisherman have such insight?” Zhao Min smiled brightly, “Master Zhou, your father is probably the former leader of the White Lotus Sect, Zhou Ziwang. “
Zhou Zhiruo narrowed her eyes, and a murderous aura quietly seeped out.
Zhao Min smiled nonchalantly, “Because of the Southern Song Dynasty, the White Lotus Sect has now become almost extinct. But Master Zhou can rest assured that others may be afraid of the Southern Song Dynasty, but I, Zhao Min, am not afraid.”
‘White Lotus Sect? Zhiruo’s father was Zhou Ziwang, the king of Zhou who launched an uprising and swept most of the Southern Song Dynasty?’ Song Qingshu was horrified. Although he was Zhou Zhiruo’s husband, he didn’t know this secret.
No wonder Zhou Zhiruo kept secret about her life experience. Over the years, the Southern Song Dynasty has been tracking down the remnants of the White Lotus Sect. If Zhou Zhiruo’s identity was exposed, her position as the leader of Emei may not be guaranteed.
“What do you want to do?” Zhou Zhiruo’s voice was cold and she looked at Zhao Min quietly.
“I don’t want to do anything wrong,” Zhao Min smiled slightly, “I just want to tell you that Zhang Wuji is approaching you more because you are Zhou Ziwang’s daughter than because of the favor of the past.”
“After more than ten years Due to the suppression, the White Lotus Sect has seemingly disappeared,” Zhao Min continued, “However, according to information from the Ruyang Palace, in recent years, under the leadership of the previous leader Zhou Ziwang’s master, Monk Peng, and the saint Tang Sai’er, the White Lotus Sect has gradually recovered their strength. They have learned the lesson from the last failure, so they have been holding back their troops, waiting for the world to be in chaos.”
“Our Cult Leader Zhang must have taken a fancy to the power of the White Lotus Sect, so he came to approach Master Zhou. Am I right?”
Zhao Min’s voice was extremely clear, and she told everything in an unhurried manner, but for some reason, to the other people in the room, it sounded chilling.
“As the leader of Ming Cult, the largest sect in the West, Leader Zhang made the Sun Moon Holy Cult, the largest sect in the East, a vassal a few months ago. Now as long as he can get the leader Zhou, he can not only control the southwestern Emei Sect, but also take advantage of the opportunity to control the White Lotus Sect in the southeast. With that the southeast and the northwest would all be under his control. To think he had such a grand gesture and a deep calculation.”
Hearing Zhao Min’s explanation, Zhou Zhiruo couldn’t help but glance at Zhang Wuji in fear, and subconsciously took a step back. ‘Is this still the indecisive Zhang Wuji I am familiar with?’
Song Qingshu, who was sitting on the tree, was also speechless. He thought that he had gained the power of the Qing Dynasty by changing the Emperor, which was a great feat, but he didn’t know that Zhang Wuji had already taken the world into his hands.
‘Am I a cheat, or is he a bigger cheat?’ Song Qingshu lamented.
Seeing that Zhao Min had revealed everything, Zhang Wuji didn’t quibble, but smiled and said, “Minmin, you have seen through everything. Yes, it is exactly what you said, but in order to dominate the world, what’s so wrong with a bit of scheming? The great Genghis Khan in your people’s hearts is still full of scheming.”
“But what I like is not the talented and brilliant Genghis Khan, but the indecisive, kind and loyal Zhang Wuji.” Zhao Min bit her lip to the point that it almost bled.
Zhang Wuji’s face finally darkened, “You don’t have to sound so noble. Do you think I really don’t know your plan?”
“What plan?” Zhao Min was startled. Now it was her turn to be confused.
Zhou Zhiruo looked at Zhang Wuji’s familiar face, but couldn’t help but feel a sense of strangeness. She stood there quietly, obviously also very interested in what Zhang Wuji wanted to say.
Zhang Wuji said expressionlessly, “You keep saying is that you abandoned Mongolia, abandoned Ruyang Palace, and abandoned your people for me…but what did you really lose? You want me to abandon Ming Cult, but…” He stopped to look at Zhao Min, and continued, “Without my leadership, the Ming Cult will eventually return to the scattered state it once was. How can it still be your Mongolian opponent? Wouldn’t it be devastated and annexed by the Mongolian cavalry in a short time?”
“You abandoned everything and followed me. It might seem like it was all for love, but unfortunately in my opinion it is just a beauty trick used by Mongolia. Mongolia would be losing Princess Shaomin, which would have no impact on their strength. However, without Zhang Wuji in the Ming Cult, Mongolia would have nothing to worry about if they wanted to destroy it. Who else but you can come up with such a sweet and heart-wrenching trap?”
Zhao Min’s face turned pale, she subconsciously shook her head, and murmured, “I…I really didn’t think about that…”
“Really?” Zhang Wuji coldly snorted, “Since you are willing to abandon everything for love, then why did you not stay with me after knowing that I continued to fight against Mongolia? Instead, you ran back to Mongolia without hesitation, and started to command the masters of Ruyang Prince’s Mansion immediately!”
Goblin: Please consider becoming a Patron at Patreon to support me if you can, and you can also support me at BuymeaCoffee! A little support will help me a lot in these tough times.
If you want to read about severe (spicy) rehabilitation of multiple villainesses, you can check out my other project, Pushover Extra Trains the Villainesses, My Summons Are Special, and Dual Cultivation with a Fox Demon.
Become a Supreme Patron for only $30 to access all the advanced chapters of all the novels on Goblinslate!
Please point out any mistakes if you find one.
Please whitelist this site in your a*blocker to support the translation.
Patrons, please visit the Patreon page for your advanced chapters.
If you enjoy this novel, please take some time to rate it on NU
been eagerly following this for a while. definitely one of the best. great work on the translation.
Thank you!
Can’t wait for MC to meet Zhiruo again.
D*mn politics..
Thanks for the chapter.
Thanks for reading.