Dark and stormy

The corruption case of the Deputy Minister of Works was like a stone thrown into stagnant water. The ripples it caused had not yet subsided when another major event that shocked the court and the country took place - the Duke of Zhenguo, Wei Zheng, was assassinated in his residence!

It was already late at night when the news arrived. Kunning Palace was about to be locked, and Lu Qinglan was taking off her hairpins and rings when her hand trembled violently, and a scarlet gold and kingfisher feather hairpin fell to the ground with a "clack", scattering the pearls and jade.

"How's the Duke of Wei?" Her voice was tense, filled with a panic she wasn't even aware of. Wei Zheng wasn't just a pillar of support at the border, he was also her most important ally. If anything happened to him, the border troops would be in chaos, and the government would become even more difficult to control.

"Thank goodness!" Fu Yu quickly reported, "The assassin was a ruthless assassin who had infiltrated the palace's servants. However, the Duke of Wei was quick to react, and only injured his left arm. His life is not in danger. The assassin committed suicide by taking poison on the spot, leaving no survivors."

Lu Qinglan sat down slowly, her fingertips icy cold. Death squad? Targeting Wei Zheng? Who? Remnants of the old forces? Former subordinates of Marquis Jingnan? Or... that "Ninth Brother" hiding in the shadows? With Wei Zheng dead, the border troops were leaderless. Who would benefit the most? Several names flashed through her mind, finally settling on the young generals Xiao Jingche had recently promoted to command parts of the capital's garrison. Could it be...

She didn't dare to think about it any further. The emperor's mindset, in order to concentrate military power, was not impossible to abandon the rabbit after the dog died.

"What was His Majesty's reaction?" She forced herself to remain calm.

"His Majesty has heard the news and is furious. He has ordered a thorough investigation and sent a royal physician to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion for treatment."

Xiao Jingche's reaction seemed normal, but Lu Qinglan's heart tightened even more. A thorough investigation? What could be found? A deadly assassin left no trace, so the case would most likely be left unresolved.

At court the following day, an imperial censor seized upon this incident to launch a fiery attack, accusing the capital's defense of being so lax that a pillar of state had been assassinated in his own palace. He demanded severe punishment for the officials involved. Specifically named were several mid-level generals from Wei Zheng's former ranks who were responsible for parts of the capital's defense. Furthermore, some implied that Wei Zheng had "held his own troops to himself, inviting revenge."

Xiao Jingche sat high on the dragon throne with a solemn expression on his face. He did not express his opinion immediately, but only ordered the Ministry of Justice, the Dali Temple, and the Censorate to hold a joint trial and investigate the case thoroughly.

After the court session, Xiao Jingche made a rare visit to Kunning Palace. He was dressed in court robes, clearly having just left court, with a lingering look of fatigue and gloom between his brows.

"Has the Queen heard about the assassination of Duke Weiguo?" He went straight to the point, his eyes as sharp as torches, staring at Lu Qinglan.

Lu Qinglan stood up to greet him, her expression calm yet appropriately sad. "I've heard about this, and I'm deeply worried. The Duke of Wei is a pillar of the court, and thankfully, Heaven has protected him, preventing the traitors from succeeding. I wonder, Your Majesty, if you can find the mastermind behind this?"

She threw the question back and looked him in the eye.

Xiao Jingche was silent for a moment before he said, "The assassins have taken action, and the clues have been cut off. I have already dispatched additional personnel to guard the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion." He paused, then suddenly changed the subject, "I heard that the Queen had quite a bit of dealings with the Duke of Weiguo's Mansion in the past?"

Here it comes! He finally asked. Lu Qinglan sneered inwardly, but a hint of surprise and reminiscence appeared on his face. "Your Majesty, are you talking about Sister Wei Linlang? Before I got married, Sister Wei and I had similar personalities and often interacted with each other. After I entered the palace, Sister Wei often came to pay her respects and talk. As for the Duke of Wei... As a woman in the harem, how dare I make friends with an outsider? Your Majesty, I understand."

She admitted to her relationship with Wei Linlang, which was a well-known fact, but she firmly denied having any private relationship with Wei Zheng, drawing a clear line between them.

Xiao Jingche looked at her, trying to find a trace of guilt or panic on her face, but he only saw a frank calm. His doubts did not dissipate, but deepened. She was too calm, too calm to be the reaction of someone who had heard that an ally had been assassinated.

"That's good." Xiao Jingche's tone was indistinguishable from his emotions. "These are troubled times. The Queen is in the Central Palace. She needs to be more careful with her words and actions and not give others any leverage."

"Your Majesty, I will keep your teachings in mind." Lu Qinglan replied with her eyes lowered.

After seeing Xiao Jingche off, Lu Qinglan stood alone in the deserted palace, feeling a chill creeping down her spine. Xiao Jingche's suspicions and probing were barely concealed. When Wei Zheng was assassinated, the first person he suspected was her, the Queen! In his mind, was she someone willing to do anything for power, even colluding with border generals?

That's fine. Lu Qinglan slowly clenched her hands in her sleeves. Since he thought so, she didn't have to worry about anything.

"Fuyu."

"The servant is here."

"Have our men secretly protect the Duke of Wei's mansion and report any unusual movements immediately. Also," Lu Qinglan's eyes flashed with a fierce look, "have Han Mingyuan 'accidentally' leak the irrefutable evidence we have that proves the impeached former subordinates of Wei Zheng are innocent of any dereliction of duty. Also, check the records of recent garrison deployments in the capital, especially... the movements of His Majesty's personal guards."

She wanted to let the court officials see who was truly maintaining the stability of the court, and who was eliminating dissidents by any means necessary!

"Yes!" Fu Yu felt the coldness in his master's words, his heart trembled, and he quickly obeyed the order.

The wind and rain were dark and the roosters were crowing incessantly.

Inside and outside the imperial city, a storm is brewing.

Lu Qinglan knew that the thin disguise of husband-wife relationship and alliance between her and Xiao Jingche had been completely torn apart.

What remains is a naked power game and a life-and-death struggle.

She walked to the window, opened it, and let the cold autumn wind flow into the hall, blowing her untied black hair.

Since there is no way to avoid it, then... let's fight!