Discovering that Xirui Yangxin was a powerful extraordinary being did not surprise Daenerys.
As a princess of the foremost family in Westeros, Xirui's secrets were difficult to conceal, and she had never intended to hide them.
Just like her mother, Serena, it was impossible for her to conceal her identity and origins. Otherwise, why would the nobles of the Seven Kingdoms acknowledge Xirui's status as a noble bastard?
The reason Brynden, the Three-Eyed Crow, could become a noble bastard was because his maternal family, House Blackwood, dated back to the Age of Heroes. They were one of the oldest noble houses of the Riverlands, with a history of nearly eight thousand years.
And the reason Xirui could stand alongside Brynden and Daemon Blackfyre was that her mother, Serena, came from a declining yet ancient Valyrian family in Lys.
To put it more directly, Xirui's ancestors were a branch of the Fourteen Flames families.
In the present day, among the nine Free Cities, aside from Braavos, the ruling classes of the other eight cities are all descendants of the offshoots of the Fourteen Flames families intermarried with the conquered local royal houses.
If Empress Daenerys were to dominate the world in the future, how would she govern such a vast territory?
By using her "second sons."
By using her grandsons' "second sons": sending her grandsons one by one to the major city-states to marry into the most powerful local families. Her grandsons would become kings, while the daughters of the foremost local families would become queens. Their descendants would thus carry the blood of both sides.
Wasn't this exactly the kind of marriage pact she had signed with the Bu clan of Yi Ti?
Xirui Yangxin came from such a background.
However, after the Doom of Valyria, the political landscape of the Free Cities underwent tremendous changes, and merchant princes gradually gained more political power.
For example, Illyrio, once a petty rogue, became a Prince of Pentos. In Qarth, the Thirteen wielded more power than the royal family.
Ultimately, in mercantile city-states, wealth determines authority.
Of course, the upper rulers of the Free Cities were still wealthy Valyrian descendants with noble bloodlines. Illyrio could become a prince because his first wife came from a distinguished family.
The Dragon Queen's struggle for dominance could, in essence, be seen as internal strife among Valyrian descendants in the post-Valyrian era.
The high-ranking members of the allied forces all possessed high Valyrian blood.
Since Serena of Lys had already had her genealogy thoroughly investigated, her age could not be concealed from the upper circles of Westeros.
She was the ninth and final mistress of King Aegon the Unworthy, and also the most beautiful among them.
She was as sweet as a maiden in spring, earning the nickname "Sweet Serena." Yet her true age was enough to be Aegon's grandmother. There were even more exaggerated rumors claiming she had been born before the Doom of Valyria, though Old Aemon denied this, saying she was not that old.
Even so, Aegon the Unworthy was already over fifty at the time.
Serena was not like those "grandmothers who look like young girls" from modern short videos relying on tricks. She was genuinely as fresh and youthful as a maiden.
Just like the enchantress Melisandre, who remained alluring even after hundreds of years.
Black magic.
The upper circles of King's Landing all knew Serena was a witch. Even the king himself knew his lover was an "old green onion in disguise," yet her beauty was simply too irresistible.
Later, Serena died in childbirth, and Xirui Yangxin inherited a secret library from her mother's legacy.
Not just a single manual, but an entire library.
Old Aemon once told Daenerys regretfully that even after Baelor the Blessed had burned many "forbidden books" containing supernatural knowledge, the royal library still retained a great deal of valuable material.
After all, six thousand years of Targaryen collections could not be entirely destroyed by one prodigal.
And then came the second prodigal, Aegon the Unworthy, who allowed Serena to pick whatever she wanted. And she truly did pick freely.
Then came the third prodigal, Brynden, who actually permitted his lover's younger sister, Xirui, to take all of her mother's dowry and her father's gifts out of King's Landing.
Naturally, Xirui Yangxin inherited her mother's black magic.
Previously, Daenerys had doubted the accuracy of the rumors. After all, dragons had been exterminated by the Citadel, and the world had entered an age of declining magic.
But seeing the alluring, bone-deep seductive goddess Xirui before her now, Daenerys realized the rumors were true. Xirui and her mother were both black witches because they were backed by a deity.
Or perhaps they themselves had once been deities?
Faced with Daenerys's questioning, Xirui hesitated before saying, "I am a divine envoy of Her Majesty."
"A divine envoy?"
After thinking for a moment, Xirui explained, "Like your angels. Saint Matthew is similar to me. However, I did not become an envoy purely through faith. Besides being a priestess of the Church of Desire, I am also a powerful witch. Similar to Melisandre, who would also become an envoy of R'hllor after her death."
Daenerys asked again, "Which god do you worship?"
Like many native gods of the Free Cities, the goddess of desire in Lys was known to exist, but her name was not publicly revealed.
"I cannot say," Xirui shook her head repeatedly, looking pitiful. "Her Majesty is a hidden god. Her name cannot be known to those outside the faith."
"Do you think you can still leave today?" Daenerys said calmly.
"What do you mean?" Xirui retreated slightly, her expression wary.
"What a disgrace to the family," the Dragon Queen sighed, stamping her foot in exasperation. She looked like an elderly patriarch who had lived a respectable life, only to run into his own granddaughter working in a brothel while visiting a nightlife district with old friends.
"As the current head of House Targaryen, I cannot allow a member of my family to prostitute herself. Such behavior that corrupts family honor must be forbidden. Those who commit such acts must be punished and reformed."
At this moment, Daenerys was no longer the Stranger. She had become Saint Daenerys, and she was not alone. Xirui's grand-uncle, Saint Baelor, seemed to stand with her.
Xirui's face flushed with anger. "What right do you have to say I have disgraced the Targaryen family?
Even before the Doom, in the Valyrian capital, it was a tradition for noble girls to serve as priestesses in the pleasure gardens.
In Lys, everyone worships the goddess of desire, just as the Seven are the dominant faith in Westeros.
My status in Lys is as noble as Saint Baelor's in Westeros."
"I am the pride of the Targaryens!" she declared loudly.
Damn it. Being used and calling it pride. What a ridiculous world.
"Unfortunately, you are the one being judged. Whether it is glory or not is decided by the judge," Daenerys said, tapping her chest. "That is me."
"Prostitution is shameful. And you do it willingly, which makes it even more disgraceful," Judge Daenerys pronounced.
In truth, she did not oppose Xirui's pursuits.
When it came to such matters, as long as one was open-minded and did not intend to deceive others, a girl could live as she pleased.
After all, life and youth come only once, and they belong to oneself. One's happiness should be defined by oneself, while others' opinions are merely social constraints.
Moreover, Xirui's actions were not solely about desire. She was pursuing a higher path, even elevating her soul into that of an angel.
But just as certain nations used trivial excuses to justify invasion, the Dragon Queen also needed a pretext to act.
Corrupting family honor sounded far more reasonable than a missing soldier.
"I now arrest you in the name of the head of House Targaryen. If you have grievances, take them up with the Mother."
Before Xirui could recover from her shock and anger, Daenerys moved behind her in an instant and struck the top of her head with a palm.
In an instant, flames and blades of wind engulfed her entire body.
"Aaaah—!" Xirui's delicate face twisted into a grotesque expression of agony. Multicolored sparks emerged around her, like a halo of light.
These were her divine essence and power being burned away under enchantment.
Stripped of divinity and power, Xirui shrank like a prawn cracker in reverse, rapidly contracting into a thin, fragile form.
In the blink of an eye, she was like a rag doll, held in Daenerys's palm.
The entire process was no more difficult than catching a small hen.
"You have destroyed my demigod cultivation!" Xirui's voice was weak, yet her heterochromatic eyes burned with extreme hatred.
Without her divinity and demigod status, she no longer possessed her former charm. Though still beautiful, she now resembled a ghost more than a goddess.
"Did you think we were playing house? Whether you are Xirui Yangxin or not, anyone who dares to come to my domain and steal my followers will not leave alive today.
You are still breathing only because you have a Targaryen father," Daenerys sneered.
"You are tyrannical, lawless, and unreasonable!" Xirui shouted in fury.
Daenerys looked at her strangely. "If a dragon king is not tyrannical, is she still a dragon king? Compared to the great Valyrian sorcerers, what am I?
Actually, I am curious. The incident where I took R'hllor's followers should have spread, right?
Given how domineering I am, the goddess of desire still dares to challenge me. Is she even more overbearing than R'hllor?"
"My actions are not opposed even by the true ruler of Westeros, the Three-Eyed Crow. What right do you have?" Xirui said indignantly.
"You mean Brynden? What was your relationship? Did you love him?" Daenerys asked curiously.
"Brynden…" A trace of melancholy flashed in Xirui's eyes. "What does love matter? When we walked the same path, we relied on each other. When the road ended, we went our separate ways. Neither of us would change course for the other."
"You are quite free-spirited. A model of awakened independence in the new era," Daenerys praised with a thumbs-up, then shook her head. "But as you said, those who follow different paths cannot work together. The old rules no longer apply because the one who sets the rules has changed.
Brynden may not have objected to you joining a corrupt church… actually, he certainly would. No man would willingly live under such humiliation.
Regardless of the past, you have committed two offenses now. First, you entered my divine domain and tried to seize my followers. Once they wear my indulgence tokens, they belong to me. Second, as a direct Targaryen, you failed to uphold your dignity and tarnished the royal family's reputation.
I will not kill you. Instead, you will be sent to hell to reflect on your actions."
"This is not over. Her Majesty will not let you go. You have broken the rules. The gods will soon form a Justice League to punish you," Xirui said coldly.
Daenerys laughed. "A Justice League? That's fine. Dan Yue Chu Nu is my double agent. She will help clarify things for me and inform me of the alliance's movements."
Xirui smiled mockingly.
Daenerys nodded. "I know. On the surface, she is my spy, but in reality, she is an undercover agent planted by the gods. But that is only an illusion. The one she truly serves is me. Of course, from the gods' perspective, they believe her loyalty belongs to them. That is what makes her a double agent."
Xirui looked completely confused. Who exactly was Dan Yue Chu Nu working for?
(End of Chapter)
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