Chapter 113: The Grand Ceremony of Hairpinning

  Three days later, due to Lin Xue and Lin Fan's coming-of-age ceremony, many noble guests arrived at the Lin residence. From si time onwards, the Lin residence was bustling with people, with guests pouring in continuously, filling every seat. The scene from inside to outside the residence was one of vibrant energy and joy. Meanwhile, Feng Li had been sitting in front of her dressing table since early morning, being forced to let her maid dress her up from head to toe.

  As the saying goes, there are only lazy women in the world, but no ugly women. However, when facing a face that is still extremely ugly after careful dressing up in front of the mirror, Feng Li Xi was completely speechless!

  No! To be exact, this face is even uglier than before it was made up!

  Looking at the maid standing aside with a nervous expression, Fengli Xi beckoned her to come over, without saying any words of blame, and simply gestured for the maid to remove all the pearl and jewel decorations from her hair. Without those gaudy gold and silver ornaments, this face looked much fresher!

  With a satisfied pat on his relaxed face, Fengli Xi stood up and walked towards the main hall...

  Just as she walked to the bend, Feng Li's footsteps paused. She saw that not far away in the pavilion, Lin Fan was standing with his back to her, wearing a light purple brocade robe, seemingly waiting for someone.

  Perhaps sensing someone's presence, Lin Fan suddenly turned around and coincidentally met Feng Ri Xi's gaze head-on.

  The Lin Fan in front of him had eyebrows like willows, eyes like torches, a face as white as jade, and a waist bound by a jade belt. Because of the crown on his head, his originally loose long hair was tied up by a crimson jade crown. The pale purple sleeves were embroidered with orchids and green bamboo, and the folds of the sleeves fell to the ground like moonlight and cloud silk, making him even more extraordinary and elegant, noble and refined.

  I vaguely remember that in my past life, Xi Yue loved to wear a pale purple brocade robe. I didn't expect that Lin Fan would also like the color purple in this life. In this regard, the two people's tastes are surprisingly similar.

  Thinking of this, Feng Li's gaze softened a bit more. She blinked and smiled as she walked forward, laughing and saying, "Second Brother, why are you standing here?"

  Upon hearing this, Lin Fan calmly said, "My brother is waiting for my sister to go to the main hall together."

  Fengri nodded slightly and didn't feel surprised. Then he followed Lin Fan to the front hall.

  But little did I expect -

  Just as Lin Fan was about to turn and leave, he suddenly heard the crisp sound of jade hitting the ground. Lin Fan and Lin Xue's footsteps came to a simultaneous halt, and they looked in the direction of the sound. They saw that the crimson jade crown that Lin Fan had just put on his head had fallen off and shattered into pieces. And Lin Fan's long black hair with purple undertones was now freely flowing down...

  "How can this be good? The grand ceremony is about to begin, and the jade crown suddenly breaks into pieces. What an ominous sign!" An old nun following Lin Fan's side suddenly changed her expression.

  "It's okay! Take care!" She waved her hand and smiled slightly in response.

  After finishing speaking, she pulled out a slender, crystal-clear silver thread from her sleeve and smiled, saying, "If Second Brother doesn't mind, would it be okay for me to use this to tie up your hair?"

  In the eyes of ordinary people, this is just a delicate silver thread. However, in reality, it is the life-strings of Feng Ri Xi's zither. At first glance, this string appears no different from an ordinary silver thread, but in truth, it holds secrets within. Although it looks extremely fine, it is actually incredibly resilient and difficult to damage. Moreover, it is razor-sharp; with just a surge of spiritual energy, the string can instantly transform into the sharpest weapon in the world, capable of shattering even the hardest objects in an instant, leaving none unscathed.

  She sent the life-saving strings of her zither to Lin Fan, and Feng Lixue was also for better protection. Once he is in danger, she will know at the first time. Like before, the demon stone was stolen, and things that harmed Lin Fan, Feng Lixue absolutely did not allow it to happen again.

  "Alright! I'll trouble you then!" Lin Fan glanced at the strings in Feng Ri Xi's hand, didn't say much and didn't show any disdain, only slightly nodded in response.

  Regardless of the old woman's glare, the wind gently blew Lin Fan's scattered long hair to wrap around her fingertips. Her agile fingers constantly wove in and out of his raven hair, dancing as if the human locks under her palms were not hair but the finest strings of a zither. She poured her heart and soul into caressing him, confessing...

  In no time, Lin Fan's long hair was styled into a simple yet exquisite bun in the empty space between Feng Ri Xi's fingers. Feng Ri Xi looked at her work, nodded in satisfaction, and then took the rhombus-shaped mirror handed over by the maid and placed it on Lin Fan's bun, saying "How is it? Does it look good?"

  It was also the first time in Feng Li's life that she tied a man's hair, yet inexplicably, it felt just right, without any of the awkwardness of the first time.

  Looking at the exquisite hair bun presented in the mirror, Lin Fan nodded. He didn't expect that his reclusive and simple sister would have such skills, which made him look at her with new eyes.

  From the moment this sister first appeared in front of him, every time they met, she presented a different state in front of him, making him inexplicably feel both familiar and confused.

  "Let's go! Father and the others must be waiting anxiously!" Seeing Lin Fan nod, Fengli Xi didn't say much more. Under the urging of the old nanny, he pulled Lin Fan along and rushed towards the main hall.

  ===================================== I am the dividing line of Wen Yunbo =====================================

  When Feng Li Xi La accompanied Lin Fan to the hall, Lin Yan Qiu, Lin Mu, and Mei Shuang had been greeting guests for a long time. The spacious hall was already packed with people at this moment. As soon as the twin siblings of the Lin family appeared together, all the guests couldn't help but stop their chatter and stand up to look at them in unison.

  Lin Xue, the young lady of the Lin family, was born different from ordinary people and had been confined to a separate courtyard since birth. This was also Lin Xue's first formal appearance in front of outsiders, so the guests were all filled with strong curiosity about her. But when they saw Lin Xue, she indeed looked as ugly as rumored, like an 80-year-old woman. With the excellent genes of the Lin family children, if Lin Xue didn't look like an 80-year-old woman, her appearance would have been outstanding too. Thinking of this, all the guests present couldn't help but feel a sense of regret.

  As soon as she appeared in front of everyone, Feng Lixi could feel countless eyes fixed on her. Facing other people's silent sighs and gazes, Feng Lixi was unmoved. Now, the only thing that caught her attention was that she could sense that several cultivators had infiltrated among these guests. Although they deliberately concealed their auras, with Feng Lixi's current cultivation level, it was still easy to detect their presence.

  Why would cultivators appear at Lin family's coming-of-age ceremony?!

  What is the purpose of these monks coming here?!

  Will the theft of the Netherworld Demon Stone also be related to these cultivators?!

  With a puzzled expression, Feng Li furrowed his brow unintentionally.

  In this current state, she can only wait and see what happens next as the best way to respond.

  Thinking of this, Fengri Xiduo couldn't help but worry about Lin Fan's safety. Taking advantage of the moment when no one was paying attention, she gently pulled on Lin Fan's sleeve and whispered in his ear, "Second Brother, don't stray too far from me!"

  It was blown away by the wind, and Lin Fan didn't turn around for a while. He remained silent for several breaths, perhaps coming back to his senses. He nodded slightly, as if in response.

  For some reason, although he didn't understand his fellow sister and couldn't comprehend the motivation and intention behind her words, he somehow trusted her! So, despite being full of doubts at the moment, he still nodded in agreement to her request.

  Lin Fan's eyes were filled with a hint of doubt, and Fengli Xi didn't want to explain further. She calmly withdrew her gaze, carefully releasing a bit of her spiritual sense to scrutinize the movements within the crowd.

  To ensure absolute safety, she had to keep these cultivators who infiltrated the Lin Manor within her divine sense's range, just in case.

  Perhaps it was because their cultivation level was too low, and Feng Lixi deliberately hid his cultivation level and the distribution of his spiritual energy, so the cultivators who infiltrated Lin's mansion did not notice that Feng Lixi was any different.

  Fengri Xi followed closely behind Lin Fan, walking towards Lin Yanqiu's main seat.

  With the arrival of the two principals, the auspicious moment also arrived, so the capping and hair-pinning ceremony officially began.

  Lin Yanqiu first bowed to all the guests and gave a speech of welcome.

  Then, with Feng Rixi and Lin Fan standing facing south in the center of the hall, they paid their respects to the guests. Then let Feng Rixi and Lin Fan sit west-facing on the seats of the officials (and crown).

  Just then, Zan and You Shi walked onto the stage, standing behind Fengli and Lin Fan. Zan took over the comb, just about to re-braid Fengli's and Lin Fan's hair, when suddenly...

  A sharp voice rang out in a timely manner, "The imperial edict has arrived——"

  Everyone heard this and immediately stood up and knelt on the ground.

  In the wind, Xi Xun looked around and saw a eunuch wearing a dark blue uniform, accompanied by several imperial guards, holding a golden imperial edict and swaggering in.

  The first eunuch was about forty years old, with a somewhat pale complexion due to his castration since childhood. His voice sounded neither as thick and deep as that of a normal man nor as soft and beautiful as that of a woman, but rather sharp and thin, making people feel a little strange.

  In the midst of his wild and fanciful thoughts, he suddenly saw the eunuch unfold the imperial edict and read it out in his unique quacking voice: "By the Emperor's decree, Lin Xue, daughter of Grand Minister Lin, is gentle and virtuous, with a noble character, soft and bright, with the beauty of peace and stability. She is hereby appointed as the Empress, to share the imperial dignity with Us, to enter the ancestral temple, and to be the motherly model for the whole world! On the tenth day of the ninth month, We will personally confer upon her the golden book and the phoenix seal, and she will become the mistress of the six palaces. Let this be known! Thanks be to the Emperor!"

  Everyone present looked at each other in dismay, feeling unbelievable.

  In contrast to the crowd's confusion and bewilderment, the Lin family showed little reaction. Only Lin Yanqiu led the old and young of the Lin family in respectfully receiving the imperial edict, kneeling down and thanking loudly, "Your subject has received the edict and thanks Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor, long live, long live, forever!"

  As soon as they heard Lin Yan's loud and clear voice, the crowd, still in shock, quickly came to their senses and knelt down together, shouting loudly in unison: "Long live Your Majesty, long live Your Majesty, forever and ever!"

  "Long live the Queen Mother for a thousand years, ten thousand years, and forever!"

  Mrs. Lin's face lit up with joy when she saw the imperial edict of canonization. This was probably the first time Fengli Xi had seen a smile on Mrs. Lin's face. Upon seeing this, Fengli Xi finally understood why Mrs. Lin could unhesitatingly refuse all the high-ranking officials and nobles who came to propose marriage.

  It's just that, Lin's mother had long known about the Emperor wanting to take her as his Empress!

  Thinking of this, Fengri Xi's face didn't have a hint of joy, but instead was full of helplessness!

  Feng Rixue didn't think that with her current appearance, she could win the affections of the Emperor. The Emperor was still young and inexperienced, only 28 years old, and in his position, he must have seen countless beauties, so how could he possibly fall for someone who looked like an 80-year-old woman? In the end, it's probably all because of the auspicious sign of the phoenix returning to the palace.

  Alas...

  Since ancient times, the emperor has been called the Son of Heaven, the Dragon God, and the empress who matches him is naturally a symbol of the Phoenix Goddess. It's a coincidence that Feng Zhihao was born with the Dan Tian Xiang, which means the Phoenix Returns to the Court. The royal family, who revered gods, might have thought she was chosen by heaven as the imperial candidate, so no matter how ugly she looked, they would still welcome her into the palace. As for whether the emperor truly liked her or not, it didn't matter! If he didn't like her, he could simply marry a few more young and beautiful concubines.

  At this thought, Fengri Xi couldn't help but roll her eyes. She was so angry that she wanted to punch her chest and stamp her feet immediately.

  She asked herself, wasn't what she wrote initially a righteous and inspiring xianxia story, how did it end up developing into a tragic harem plot?!

  The plot has become inexplicably bizarre like this, it's really... unscientific!

  In his heart, he was turning things over a thousand times, but on his face, there wasn't any expression.

  Just then, Lin Yanqiu, who had just received the imperial edict, brought his whole family, big and small, to kneel in front of Fengri Xi, wanting to kowtow and shout "Long live Your Majesty".

  Feng Li Xi was shocked. He immediately stepped forward and pulled Lin Fan, who was half-kneeling on the ground, up with one hand, saying, "Second Brother, what are you doing? You really want to kill your sister!"

  What a joke! If Lin Fan were to kneel down in front of her now, by the time Xi Yue wakes up and remembers this, wouldn't she chop her off?!

  Seeing this, the faces of the people around them showed a hint of unusual color. Even if they adhered to the principle of "respecting the elderly and being filial", the one who should have been helped up first by Feng Ri Xi was Lin Mu, but she actually pulled up Lin Fan first. How could this not make everyone suspicious?

  Seeing the look of confusion on everyone's face, Feng Li Xi suddenly realized something. He could only awkwardly clear his throat and then reached out to help Lin Yan Qiu and others up, saying "Grandmother, Father, Mother, you all get up too!"

  "Xue Yatou, from now on you will be the noble Empress, and it is only right that you accept our bows!" Lin's mother said softly, pulling Feng Rixi's hand.

  It's really not used to seeing this old lady's so gentle side. Feng Li shivered and stood up the goosebumps all over her body, rolled her eyes and said lightly, "I'm afraid it will disappoint Grandmother! Lin Xue is impossible to become the empress!"

  Feng Li Xi is originally a straightforward person, speaking directly and never beating around the bush.

  She is both a cultivator in the cultivation world and yet how can she marry an ordinary person?!

  Moreover, in the heavenly way, there is a predetermined number, this Yanjing Empress has a destined person, but it's not her! She absolutely cannot go against heaven!

  Moreover, even if she were willing to be the empress, it's unlikely that she would bring prosperity to the Lin family as Lady Lin wished. On the contrary, if she became the empress, she would only bring catastrophic disaster to the Lin family!

  It is well known that the women of emperors throughout history had to be perfect in body before entering the palace. Now, although she has been reborn once, it is vastly different from reincarnation, her physical body is still the same as before, 20 years ago, she had already given her original body to Xi Yue Wu, how can she become the Empress of the Yanjing Dynasty?!

  The hostess of Lin's family had a wish, but she was afraid that it would be thoroughly disappointed!

  Feng Li Xi's words were like a heavy bombshell, and suddenly everyone was at a loss.

  "Xue Yatou, you are the designated empress candidate, how can you talk nonsense?!" Lin Yanqiu was the first to react, and immediately scolded in a low voice.

  "She's absolutely right!" At this moment, a man in red silk clothes suddenly walked out of the crowd, smiling slyly and seductively, "Lin Xue is no longer a virgin, how can she be qualified to be an empress?!"

  Author's note: ps: First, I'll post a short update! There will be another chapter after midnight!