CHAPTER 512: CHAPTER 377 DHARMA KING INHERITANCE

Zhou Yitang, the great Buddha, had finally left, and Chen Yi could breathe a sigh of relief.

Even though the effects of the Jade Spring Balm were still surging within him, he felt he could endure for another three to four hours.

Afterwards, he would gather with both Little Yin to celebrate the new year.

By then, fireworks would light up the sky, presenting a unique and breathtaking scene.

Yin Tingxue turned her gaze aside and observed Chen Yi’s relief. After some thought, she spoke:

"You won’t be able to hide it for long, will you?"

"I know..."

Chen Yi naturally understood what Yin Tingxue was implying. Leaving aside the Empress Dowager’s decree for marriage, the act of proposing to the two Yins was already public knowledge. Although Zhou Yitang stayed confined to her courtyard, as soon as she stepped outside, a little inquiry would make the situation evident.

Thus, Chen Yi hadn’t planned to conceal it from her for long. Within these few days, he would find an appropriate reason and the right opportunity to explain everything to her.

But simply explaining wasn’t a solution.

Even if he told her the truth, without action, the explanation would be meaningless. After all, he couldn’t possibly escape the marriage with the two Yins. As Chen Yi pondered, he found himself deeply torn—it wasn’t that he cared much about the distinctions between principal wife, secondary wife, and concubines. However indifferent he may be, the women involved could never be as indifferent.

Moreover, he didn’t want to fail Zhou Yitang either.

Given that...

A thought flashed like lightning across Chen Yi’s mind.

If the three of them entered the household together and married simultaneously, wouldn’t they all be principal wives?

After all, he loved each of them!

Chen Yi’s eyes sparkled faintly, his thoughts swirling and circling in his mind, unable to settle down for a long while. As time passed, he forcefully suppressed these surging ideas. The immediate priority now was to return to the banquet.

Turning around with the two Yins, he made his way back to Yuan Chun Hall. The candlelight still flickered, and the dishes on the banquet table hadn’t grown cold. Beside the Empress Dowager, palace maids were warming wine.

As Chen Yi scanned the hall, Dong Gong Ruo Shu and Lin Wanxiao stood by the Empress Dowager’s side, and the Empress Dowager seemed to be having a private conversation with them.

When Dong Gong Ruo Shu caught sight of Chen Yi, whose face was flushed like blood due to the effects of the Jade Spring Balm, she furrowed her brows and stepped behind the Empress Dowager...

And quietly nudged Lin Wanxiao forward.

Chen Yi noticed this subtle gesture and grinned faintly.

Now, no one was contending over who would be the official wife anymore.

Under the influence of the Jade Spring Balm, Chen Yi instinctively patted Yin Weiyin on the back. Her cheeks further reddened, but she still sat back in her original seat sulkily.

Chen Yi and Yin Tingxue also returned to their seats, while Dong Gong Ruo Shu and Lin Wanxiao sat down again at the Empress Dowager’s signal.

After the earlier events, the atmosphere in the hall shifted again. Though silent, it wasn’t the calm before the storm; it was the deep, tranquil quiet after the storm had passed.

The candlelight flickered dimly as the Empress Dowager’s gaze softened like flowing water, her eyes fixed on Chen Yi while lost in reminiscence.

To poison oneself was certainly not the ideal solution, but it was undoubtedly the most practical option.

His ability to pinpoint the points of contention among everyone clearly demonstrated his profound understanding of the temperaments of the women around him.

In such a dilemma, he chose to sacrifice himself—poisoning his own body. What extraordinary courage!

The Empress Dowager recalled the time at the Heavenly Altar, when he had done something similar—plunging a blade into his own chest, sacrificing himself to resolve the crisis with self-inflicted injury.

The more she thought about it, the more her fingers trembled slightly.

The candlelight flickered, and the mural behind her seemed to grow gradually dim.

In the Shura battleground, Indra had exquisite food but no beauty, while the Asura King had beauty but no food. Why did they wage war against one another? All because of the seven emotions and six desires.

A Shura scenario arises because the feelings are real, and the desires are genuine. If the women harbored no passion or longing for him, how could there be a Shura battleground to speak of?

He had long accumulated deep bonds and genuine affection—from Dong Gong Ruo Shu and the other women, their hearts had been subtly stirred, one way or another.

He was no longer alone... no longer solitary.

A warmth coursed through her, and the Empress Dowager unexpectedly felt a surge of comfort.

And as for Chen Yi’s choice to resolve the crisis in this manner, it stemmed entirely from the note she had instructed her maid, Suxin, to deliver.

The text written on the note read...

[I know your intent to leave the capital, and I also know the Tushan Underground Palace is about to resurface. If you remain impartial today, I might consider opening the door of convenience for you.]

..................

During the drinking contest, the banquet had already reached the phase of three rounds of liquor and five courses of dishes. After the series of quarrels and commotion, no one seemed to have much appetite or mood for revelry anymore.

Miss Dong Gong, seeing Chen Yi return to his seat, silently adjusted her chair to put more distance between them. Using a jade-white bowl to shield her chest, she worried about being swept up into his "double celebrations."

Lin Wanxiao, however, wore a melancholy expression. Earlier, when she saw Chen Yi dragging two women away, she unexpectedly experienced a sinking feeling. But the moment she thought more about it, an alarming realization struck her.

As for Yin Weiyin, upon witnessing Dong Gong Ruo Shu’s discomfiture, she dared not raise any question about entering the house before or after others. Feeling triumphant like a general returning victorious, she eventually reflected on her feelings after some time. What kind of satisfaction was she even deriving from this? Why was she so fixated on the gains and losses of such trivial matters? Sighing softly, she acknowledged her lack of emotional restraint and let her features relax into calm composure.

After a while, having taken symbolic bites of food, the banquet concluded per the Empress Dowager’s decree. The Empress Dowager departed first, followed by Dong Guifei, as the other women gradually withdrew one by one. Palace maids stepped forward to escort them to the side chambers for rest, as they were to accompany the Empress Dowager in welcoming the new year that night.

While departing, Yin Tingxue turned back toward Chen Yi with a concerned expression. Chen Yi gave her an assuring smile and waved his hand, signaling her not to worry.

Chen Yi remained in the banquet hall for quite a while before he was finally greeted by the maid, Suxin.

The Empress Dowager had summoned him.

Suxin led Chen Yi along a long corridor, through whose lattice-style windows the bustling splendor of the palace could be seen. Willows and apricot trees had countless lanterns hanging from their branches, the crowns adorned with silk ribbons tied into the shape of blossoms. As the wind blew gently, it brought a rush of New Year joy into their hearts.