Chapter 66

There was just over a day until the court banquet.

Early in the morning, many low-key green curtain carriages drove out from the most orderly official residences, circled around the city, and headed out of town.

In King Chu’s mansion, gathered the elite forces King Chu had accumulated in the capital for many years.

These people were drinking tea, glancing around at each other. Compared to the past, the hall felt sparse, giving a sense of desolation.

King Chu’s faction was like a forgotten potted plant left in the room. During the recent stormy days of the Crown Prince’s reign, it had been scattered by the fierce winds and torrential rain, leaving the leaves scattered and the flowers fallen.

Moreover, with the reasons for the Second Prince’s situation, many old officials only wanted to defend the legitimate Prince’s succession and had no intentions of becoming traitors. With the Second Prince’s downfall, another twenty percent of them dispersed.

Furthermore, there was that worrisome Feng Yuexian from the Feng Family…

Thinking of this, the crowd felt both apprehensive and headache-inducing, not wanting to dwell on it.

What was most needed for great events? The Feng Family didn’t like arguing in the court, but when it came to a real fight, nobody would think the Northwestern Wolf was a vegetarian.

-—Not to mention Feng Yunyi from the Southern Dian region, which really made people anxious.

Guo Su, Left Attendant of the Ministry of War, was one of them. Previously, he and the Minister of War had worked for King Chu together, setting up the hidden lines in the military that King Chu had planned for a long time.

But over a month ago, the Minister of War had been caught in a mistake and removed from his position. Guo Su was terrified, afraid that he would be next. He dared not show any arrogance in court, fearing that if the Crown Prince had previously overlooked him, he might remember him now.

These days were spent in restless sleep and eating tasteless meat. After these days of physical and mental torment, Guo Su felt an inexplicable awe for the Eastern Palace.

Today, when he heard that King Chu had invited him, he hesitated for a moment. To tell the truth, he didn’t want to come, but he didn’t dare not to come, so he had to come and hear what King Chu had to say.

He thought King Chu was just holding a mobilization meeting to boost morale, and maybe arrange some things to undermine the Eastern Palace at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet or something.

When King Chu solemnly announced the content of the meeting, the tea lid in Guo Su’s hand fell onto the tea bowl with a loud clatter.

The Crown Prince was dead?

The Eastern Palace’s Crown Prince is the Princess in disguise??

King Chu couldn’t bear to deceive the Emperor and intended to reveal the truth to him at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet???

As King Chu’s words fell, the hall fell silent, and for a long time, there was no second sound. Everyone’s expressions were extremely similar, filled with uncertainty and suspicion.

Amidst the silence, Li Zi stood up first, cupping his hands and loudly declared:

“The Princess has committed the crime of deceiving the Emperor, but fortunately, we have the King to set things right. This is a blessing for Da Li!”

“I am deeply saddened and cannot bear it… but alas.”

King Chu sighed, his gaze roaming around the hall:

“At that time, I will also need everyone’s help to persuade the Emperor.”

King Chu tried to control his tone and expression, not letting himself appear too triumphant, but the gleam in his eyes and the excitement in his words couldn’t be concealed.

Guo Su and those around him exchanged glances, still not fully recovered.

But those who had already understood the situation stood up to express their loyalty, their faces full of joy, almost saying to King Chu directly, “Congratulations, Your Highness, on overthrowing the Eastern Palace.”

Indeed, this situation was like the saying goes, when at the end of one’s resources, one can feel desperate, but suddenly a new opportunity arises. They thought the factions’ building would collapse, but then this incident in the Eastern Palace happened…

Guo Su and his colleagues agreed to attend King Chu’s court banquet. Rationally, they understood that the Eastern Palace was in trouble this time, but an instinct was faintly whispering that it might not go so smoothly.

Should they go along with King Chu’s plan for the court banquet?

Guo Su agreed outwardly, but inwardly felt that he needed to think carefully after returning home.

But unexpectedly, he didn’t even have the chance to go home.

When Guo Su’s consciousness cleared again, he found himself in a strange compartment, slumped in a pear wood chair, looking disheveled.

And there wasn’t even a single attendant by his side, only he was alone.

He tried to stand up, but found that he couldn’t muster any strength in his body.

Creak.

The compartment door was pushed open, and before Guo Su could grasp the situation, a young woman in green walked in.

Guo Su immediately shouted:

“Who are you? How dare you lay hands on a court official!”

His voice was loud, but he was carefully scrutinizing the woman.

The woman had a beautiful face, calm and dignified, with some grace.

But Guo Su thought she was just a favored servant girl, for a simple reason: after all, anyone daring to do such a thing would have some courage, and it couldn’t possibly be a woman—

Wait, it really could be a woman!

In an instant, Guo Su’s gaze was mixed with a hint of fear.

He finally remembered that just before being brought here, he had quietly returned from King Chu’s mansion. The discussion in the mansion was about the plan concerning two women—

The news reached the Eastern Palace so quickly?

The servant girl in green was Yin Bing.

Yin Bing said calmly:

“Please have tea first, Left Adjunct. Her Highness will be here shortly.”

Guo Su’s hand moved, approaching the steaming tea water, his hand trembling, feeling a chill in his heart.

There was no other reason.

The Eastern Palace didn’t bother to conceal her identity. They either had no intention of letting him leave alive, or even if he shouted outside, the Eastern Palace was not afraid?

The servant girl in green turned and left, closing the door to the room.

Guo Su took a deep breath, sinking into deep thought in the silence.

While Guo Su was being left hanging, Feng Yuexian was calmly wiping a dagger in another room.

Besides Yin Xue, there was another person in the room, Zhu Qiu, the Right Assistant Minister of the Dali Temple.

Under the control of Feng Yuexian, the Dali Temple had always been firmly controlled by the Feng Family. Yet Zhu Qiu remained uncleared, occasionally used by them, passing on misleading information to King Chu, also serving another purpose as a “member of the Feng Family” in a sense.

Today, for the first time, Feng Yuexian showed her fangs to Zhu Qiu.

Zhu Qiu knelt on the ground, not daring to raise his eyes. From his angle, he could only see a corner of Feng Yuexian’s crimson dress.

It was clearly an extremely charming color, but in his eyes, it carried a sense of bloodiness, extremely intimidating.

How could there be such a woman in this world!

“…Lord Zhu, have you figured it out?”

The cold and ethereal voice drifted down from above, sounding gentle, yet it made Zhu Qiu shudder.

“I… I’m just a little ghost, Your Highness. Please spare me. I can’t afford to offend you and King Chu!”

“You’re joking, Lord Zhu.”

Feng Yuexian’s voice was faint, wrapped in an inexplicable sense of strangeness, like the voice of a god, ethereal and indifferent, overlooking all beings.

“If it weren’t for this palace ‘inviting’ you here, at the banquet in the future, when you offend the Eastern Palace, you will surely spare no effort.”

Zhu Qiu’s forehead broke out in cold sweat:

“I dare not, I dare not! Please, Your Highness—”

As something entered his field of vision, Zhu Qiu glanced at it, and the words in his mouth abruptly stopped.

What floated down this time was the handkerchief Feng Yuexian used to wipe the dagger.

The pure white ice silk handkerchief was soaked with large patches of scarlet blood, a horrifying sight.

It fell so close, brushing against Zhu Qiu’s nose, before lightly landing on the ground.

He could even smell that unique scent of blood, rushing into his nostrils, making him catch his breath.

“Lord Zhu also knows that this palace comes from the General’s Mansion. When solving problems, it’s different from those of you who come from the Hanlin Academy.”

“But the Crown Prince—no, the Princess, the Princess values talents. She advised this palace, saying that you are all scholars and naturally understand reason.”

These few words made Zhu Qiu’s emotions fluctuate wildly, tossing and turning, with no stability, only more and more cold sweat.

“If Lord Zhu insists on playing dumb, today…”

When Feng Yuexian’s words reached this point, she paused, Zhu Qiu’s mind was tense, then he heard the sound of a sharp blade slicing through the air.

Just hearing it, it seemed as if one could see the bright blade and the cold light at its tip.

His knees went weak, and his spine no longer held straight.

Feng Yuexian casually traced a flower with the blade, then looked down at Zhu Qiu.

It was precisely because civil officials were full of integrity, regarded themselves as upright and incorruptible, and had never even killed a chicken, that they were so easily intimidated.

Feng Yuexian watched coldly as Zhu Qiu trembled like a sieve, imagining how many kinds of torturous deaths he was picturing, before calmly saying:

“You need not fear. This palace said the Princess values talents.”

“In the future, Lord Zhu will still need to manage the country for the Princess diligently.”

If Feng Yuexian had said this at the beginning, Zhu Qiu might have had the confidence to retort, but at this moment, how could he dare to utter a word!

“I will… never disappoint you and the Princess’s expectations.”

After dealing with Zhu Qiu and having him sent away, Feng Yuexian turned to the next one.

Time was pressing. Although the court banquet only invited officials of the fourth rank and above, there were about fifty or sixty people from various places combined.

Among them, there were about ten people today who King Chu instructed to cooperate with. Feng Yuexian had to “see” them all in these two days.

Zhu Qiu and Guo Su were just the beginning.

Guo Su was pondering in the compartment when suddenly, the door was pushed open from outside, and the brilliant sunlight spilled over the threshold into the dim compartment.

The one stepping into the light was a woman with a peerless appearance, impossible to depict.

Previously, the green-clad maid standing behind her appeared extremely ordinary.

Standing there, she seemed to exhaust all elegance, graceful as a startled swan’s shadow.

With a beautiful head, delicate eyebrows, icy skin, and jade-like bones.

Guo Su almost forgot his current situation, staring blankly.

When the woman cast a cold glance at him, he felt as if he had been doused with cold water, finally coming to his senses.

Guo Su hesitated: “Is… Her Highness the Princess Consort?”

“Mr. Guo is quick-witted,” Feng Yuexian praised indifferently.

The Crown Prince was weak enough, and the Little Princess naturally wouldn’t be so healthy. If not the Princess Consort, then who could she be?

Guo Su guessed right, but there was no joy in it, bitterness lingered on his tongue like bitter gall.

Now looking again, this wasn’t a stunning beauty, more like the messenger of Yama coming to collect souls.

Seated above, Feng Yuexian recalled the information she had about Guo Su, her expression unchanged as she spoke.

In these past two days, everyone who entered King Chu’s residence, except King Chu and Li Zi, had been seen by Feng Yuexian.

Some were threatened, others tempted.

People always have weaknesses, always have desires.

Moreover, there were three or five like Guo Su, without great ambitions in life, not needing Feng Yuexian to persuade much, they simply leaned towards the Eastern Palace, not seeking great wealth and glory, only hoping to survive in the court, showing a bit of opportunism.

In addition to causing trouble on King Chu’s side, they also had to inform their own people and prepare accordingly.

After explaining to Feng Yuexian and several uncles and brothers, they looked enlightened, their faces full of “No wonder you were willing to marry, you weren’t marrying the Crown Prince, you were marrying power”.

Feng Yuexian didn’t bother explaining her own love affair to them, she was busy.

On the night she decided to pass this test, she sent a secret letter to the northwest border.

Although General Feng had retired, the border was the domain of the Northwest King and the Feng Family army.

The Old Emperor was old and no longer able to control, he could only turn a blind eye, fortunately, neither the Prince of Li nor the Feng Family had much ambition for the throne.

If necessary, Feng Yuexian didn’t mind loosening up the Feng Family’s army a bit. A fierce beast may often doze off, but it also needs to get up and move around, to intimidate all sides.

After the letter was delivered for more than a day, Feng Yuexian was summoned back home by her father.

When she arrived, Feng Yong was playing with the parrot, only asking her daughter a few questions:

“Between you and the Princess, who is the master?”

Feng Yuexian answered decisively: “It’s naturally the Princess.”

“Do you want to help her ascend to the throne?”

“Yes.”

Feng Yong sighed, “Dali has never had a Female Emperor.”

Feng Yuexian remained calm, her voice steady:

“It’s going to have one.”

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Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Ruu

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