Faithful Heart (Flesh of my Flesh...Blood of my Blood 2)

Chapter 78

Author's note: My job sure likes to kill my creative muse and suck my time. It took longer than I thought to finish up this chapter but here it is, Feng Jiu's Bing Cang Ceremony.

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Bai Quian, visibly pregnant in her heavy silk robes and fur coat, sat on a wooden dais filled with cushions, reclining against an armrest. The perfume of sandalwood wafted from a small incense burner, and a magical salamander pumps hot air into the room where she was meeting with Donghua Dijun. Her Husband, Ye Hua, was meeting with the Nine Heavens station's army commanders outside the fort and left her to speak with Dijun about Celestial Justices' succession. Bai Quian did not miss how significant it was that her husband would trust her so much or that Donghua would meet with her elevating her status as Crown Princess.

"While I was in the Bi Yi Nao compound, I spoke to two highly regarded scholars of law." Bai Quian said slowly and watched Dijun sipped his tea. "I believe that they would suit two retiring Celestial Justices, especially the Quing Qiu judge that would be a headache to replace. I feel that instating a Bi Yi Nao Scholar will be a good neutral look. It would also be of shorter duration than instating a higher celestial of a much longer lifetime."

"Oh," Donghua said as he put down his cup and looked up to surveyed Bai Quian. "But three judges are retiring."

Bai Quian nodded. "I have thought of this as well. How about a judge from one of the Sea Realms? No one has ever been appointed before from there, and it would bring into the fold these minor realms that have felt alienated for millennia. This was one of the reasons why the mermaid clan rose up in rebellion."

"This does sound reasonable to me." Donghua said approvingly.

"I have a few candidates in mind and shall pass them along to Your Lordship for inspection."

"Her Imperial Highness is hard at work."

"Your Lordship flatters me. I have merely done my duty to the Realms."

"The peace that unites the Universe in the modern era was achieved through much bloodshed. Wars must be prevented at all cost."

"Yes," Bai Quian said gravely remembering the war she had participated in as one of Mo Yuan's disciples. "Master often lecture us about this, Your Lordship need not think I will not stand for unity in the future once my Lord Husband ascends the throne."

"Yes, the throne, it occupies my thoughts often, Imperial Highness, and at times I think about the future," Donghua said and looked at Bai Quian in the eye. "I have recently gotten in my head that Ah Li is too pampered in the Celestial Palace. He ought to travel for his studies to Kunlun mountain. Mo Yuan would be a good teacher for him."

"Dijun is most wise," Bai Quian said at once glad to have an ally in her son's upbringing where her mother in law was proving an enemy.

"I had thought of ordering it, but in deference to our family relation, I feel it best to give you a choice." Donghua said seeing Bai Quian did not miss that the only reason she was in good graces was due to Feng Jiu.

"I thank Dijun,"Bai Quian said. "While it is a mother's wish to keep her child at her skirts all the time, I feel it is also best to send him to Kunlun Mountain for extended periods."

"Imperial Highness, I dare say you and I will agree in much." Donghua said.

"Dijun flatters me," Bai Quian nodded.

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All of the Bai Family members had at least one Bing Cang Ceremony memory they could tell while drinking wine. Feng Jiu had grown up hearing of her Uncle's bravery or how fast her Aunt had finished off her own Ceremony. Of course, they all had one thing in common between them, and that was age; all of them had undergone the ceremony at fifty thousand years old after having ascended to High Immortal.