After being reborn, I stole the female lead's cheat ability and raised the empress.

Chapter 32 A Tragedy

He finally managed to get Xia Jingyuan out of the room, and he immediately groaned softly, "It hurts, it hurts, it hurts! Brother, please help me away. I think I've injured my internal organs."

"Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"My sister is here; she'll be even more upset if she sees this."

Xia Jingyuan didn't say anything more, but squatted down and said, "Get on, I'll carry you back."

Ali was unaware of what was happening in the courtyard, because she was lying in bed with her thoughts in disarray, the jumbled memories of two different time periods swirling in her mind.

A karmic burden? She'd heard that word before, from the roar of her biological mother in her past life:

"She's disloyal and unfilial! Bah! This wretched child."

At that time, Ali could only hide in her room. The doors and windows were tightly closed, and the darkness made her afraid to even breathe. Helplessly, she curled up in the small quilt. She didn't understand that she had simply forgotten to collect the laundry because she was too busy with housework.

How is that disloyal and unfilial?

"Miss, Miss?" A concerned voice pulled Ali back to reality. It was Bai Yue holding a bowl of chicken soup, her eyes filled with worry. Why was Miss trembling in her arms?

Ali shook her head, putting the past behind her, and took the chicken soup, drinking it all in one gulp: "I'm fine. Go to the courtyard and replace Wenwan's people."

Ali was left alone in the room again. She took a deep breath, and her eyes instantly cleared. She tapped her fingers on the edge of the bed; the crisp sound was the best way to calm her down.

Thanks to her mother, she realized that her two older brothers genuinely cared for her.

Thinking of this, tears instantly filled my eyes.

So, she is loved after all.

In her past life, she was an only child. Her parents would argue every day when they came home. When they argued, they would throw things and hit each other, and even abuse her. Her childhood consisted of endless housework and cleaning up the mess left by her parents' arguments. Hopefully, the trauma of her past life can be made up for in this life.

But Wen Wan cannot be let go!

Since Wen Wan had given him such a generous gift, he would reciprocate by revealing Wen Wan's true identity to the public.

As for how to let her brothers know the truth...

"Xia Yi, go and keep an eye on Wen Wan and her daughter."

If she really was someone sent by her brother to monitor her, he should have found out the truth immediately.

She had already laid the groundwork for her brothers, so it wouldn't be surprising if they discovered it now.

"Miss, the eldest young master has arrived."

Before Bai Yue could finish her report, Xia Jingyuan walked in: "Sister, I discovered today that someone is investigating your identity!"

But they found that Ali still had tear stains on her face.

His face darkened; his sister must be heartbroken.

Xia Jingyuan approached her casually and asked, "What's wrong? Why are your hands so cold, little sister? Is it because you're an ice queen?"

Ali snapped out of her daze: "Why is brother here?"

“I said, someone is checking your identity.”

"Oh." Check it out, it should be Ji Qingluan.

Xia Jingyuan spoke very seriously: "I'm telling you this very seriously. Tell me honestly, have you offended some very powerful person?"

Seeing her older brother's expression, Ali suddenly felt a little uneasy: "...Will you be angry if you find out?"

Xia Jingyuan chuckled in exasperation, recalling their childhood. Ali was quite mischievous, a real little devil, while Xia Jingyuan was more composed, yet he was extremely indulgent towards his sister. If Ali wanted to kill someone, he would hand her a knife and then even help her dispose of the body...

Now she's actually starting to doubt herself?

Seeing her elder brother's increasingly dark expression, Ali weakly asked, "...Well, is Ji Qingluan from the Vermilion Bird Kingdom considered a very powerful person?"

Xia Jingyuan: !!!

He was a little angry: "My sister's really something, isn't she? She's always been getting into trouble, and this time she's gotten herself into trouble all the way abroad. But even if she's gone abroad, she shouldn't be afraid to speak up. You weren't like this before, were you?"

"I……"

Xia Jingyuan was both annoyed and amused: "Fine, tell me, how did you manage to get into trouble and end up abroad?"

Ali: "On my way back, I got a treasure, and she wanted to steal it from me..." Ali recounted her experience in the Misty Forest, omitting Yu Yang's part. It wasn't that she didn't want to talk about it, but rather that she herself didn't know Yu Yang's identity, so she didn't want to upset her brother.

Finally, Ali weakly added, "Wouldn't this... count as causing a huge disaster?"

Xia Jingyuan: "My sister is always causing trouble, and I'm always the one cleaning up her messes. When did she become so timid and cowardly? Is there something you're hiding from me?"

Ali: !!!

So it turns out her brothers are just there to clean up her messes. The Xia family members have very little screen time in the book, so she doesn't know what Xia Jingyuan is like. She was worried sick just now, but it was all for nothing.

At the same time, in another private courtyard in the capital.

Ji Qingluan sat in the seat of honor, holding a cup of tea, and asked Zhu Jie, who had just returned, "General Zhu, have you found out her identity?"

Heaven knows, she tried to block the door during the day but failed to catch Ali. Instead, she was scolded by the people from Shengqiong Academy, and she couldn't argue back. Feeling suffocated, she took it out on the maid when she got back. Zhu Jie came to report that they still hadn't found out the woman's identity.

Zhu Jie shook his head, a hint of weariness in his eyes: "I personally took action today, and we were almost able to find out, but suddenly the trail was cut off. However, it wasn't a complete loss. We found clues that suggest she is very likely a member of the Xia family."

"We investigated the Xia family under the tree, and their young lady did indeed leave the capital before. Just yesterday, she was involved in an argument with someone at Linlang Pavilion. I asked her, and that person's name is Wen Wan. However, since she's currently in the capital, we need to plan this carefully..."

"What long-term plan? What discussion? Go and arrest her right now!" Ji Qingluan didn't want to wait a moment longer. She wanted to capture Ali right now, torture her severely, and then steal her sacred beast.

"Princess, wait!"

Zhu Jie earnestly advised, "Although our Vermilion Bird Kingdom is very powerful, we have never truly fought against the Azure Dragon Empire... Although we naturally have nothing to fear from them, once war breaks out, countless lives will be lost, and no one dares to be the sinner who provokes conflict between the two countries, not even the princess."

Besides, Princess, haven't you forgotten why we came here?

After Zhu Jie's persuasion, Ji Qingluan calmed down and waved her hand helplessly:

"Alright, I'll leave this matter to you. You may leave now. I need to make some preparations... The day after tomorrow is the day the First Prince will return to the capital."

She was simply spoiled growing up, not stupid. She naturally understood the reasons behind this.

Even an ordinary person in the capital city, if they alarm the Azure Dragon royal family, the allure of a sacred beast would be enough to drive the two countries to war.

It should be noted that the entire Vast Ocean Continent is composed of four empires and countless sects of all sizes.

As far as they knew, there were only five sacred beasts on the entire continent. The royal families of the Azure Dragon Empire, the Vermilion Bird Empire, and the White Tiger Empire each possessed one. The fourth was the legendary Snow Wolf King, which no one dared to provoke. The other was the sacred beast of unknown species that Wen Wan (whom they thought they had met in the forest was Wen Wan, not A Li) had possessed.

Although Xuanwu has no sacred beasts, it is located in a natural and impregnable area, providing a natural protective shield. Therefore, even though the Xuanwu Empire is the weakest of the several countries, no country is willing to conquer it.

However, apart from the Xuanwu Empire, the other three countries all harbored ambitions to unify the world.

It can be said that as long as they obtain and tame this sacred beast, their Vermilion Bird Empire will soon dominate the world.