Chapter 26 The Emperor and His Minister Play Chess The Empress Dowager loosened her grip, then bit down again...

Upon hearing the Regent's invitation, Chu Yueyuan's face showed surprise.

Her chess skills were indeed quite good. Many years ago, the Shen family held a grand banquet in the capital, which included many elegant games such as pitch-pot, chess, and poetry, attracting many refined and cultured people.

Chu Yueyuan and Chu Wanxi didn't miss this exciting event. The two sisters coincidentally chose Go, and then, by some twist of fate, they bumped into each other in the finals.

Their everyday disagreements were all revealed on the chessboard, where they fiercely competed and fought, attracting many guests to watch.

With only three moves left, Chu Yueyuan was about to kill the opponent's dragon. Her eyes shone brightly, and she made her moves with agility.

Taking advantage of the moment of picking up the child, Chu Wanxi leaned closer and whispered to her, "The day after tomorrow is Madam Hu's birthday. If you let me win this game, I will have Father go and accompany Madam Hu."

Chu Yueyuan's eyes dimmed instantly.

Later, Chu Wanxi rose to fame at the Boya Banquet, while her father arrived late on her mother's birthday night, ate a few bites of food perfunctorily, and then left.

Chu Yueyuan thus realized a truth: people are alive, but chess pieces are dead.

She can easily manipulate the outcome of a chess game, but she can't control a person's heart.

"My petty skills are far inferior to Minister Pei's!"

Chu Yueyuan smiled and politely declined, her gaze inadvertently sweeping over the chessboard beside the Regent, but her wandering eyes suddenly fixed on it.

The chessboard is covered with white silk and decorated with filigree tendrils around the edges. The bottom is plain and gilded. It is paired with a black lacquered chess jar with gold-painted floral patterns. The chess pieces inside the jar are not black and white, but crystal clear blue-green glass pieces.

These are glass chess pieces that have been lost for many years!

Her fingers suddenly felt itchy.

The night was long, and playing a few games of chess with the Regent would be a good way to pass the time and prevent her from overthinking.

She rolled up her sleeves, which were embroidered with magnolia blossoms, and gestured with her hand in a "please" manner.

Pei Muwei lowered his eyes and smiled slightly, set up the chessboard and chess set, and then calmly placed a piece.

Chu Yueyuan followed closely behind, and the two of them played back and forth. In the quiet warm pavilion, only the crisp clattering sound of chess pieces falling onto the board could be heard.

After a short while, Chu Yueyuan stared blankly at the chessboard, which was not even a quarter full, and realized that she had lost!

"I was distracted just now, let's play another round!"

Chu Yueyuan picked up the chess pieces from the board. She played the second game with extra care, carefully calculating her opponent's moves. She struggled for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, but still lost.

"Again...again!"

The chess pieces rose and fell on the white silk chessboard, but no matter how hard Chu Yueyuan racked her brains to plan, the phoenix tail she had painstakingly nurtured was mercilessly chopped off by the man opposite her.

After a few rounds, Chu Yueyuan, feeling utterly defeated, couldn't help but throw the chess pieces into the chess jar.

"Minister Pei, can't you... just give in to me for once!"

A faint smile appeared in Pei Muwei's eyes, and his deep-set eyes lost some of their sharpness in the candlelight. He said in a calm voice, "Your Majesty, I understand."

He took the initiative to clean up the unfinished game on the chessboard.

Seeing the Regent's sincerity, Chu Yueyuan could no longer maintain her empress dowager airs and picked up a piece to place on the board.

The game was decided in less than half a cup of tea.

Chu Yueyuan's expression darkened further. She glared at the man angrily, her tone stern: "I asked Minister Pei to step aside, not to pretend to be blind. My pawns have already reached your doorstep, and instead of responding, you've opened the gates to let me in..."

"This game of chess... is even more boring than losing!"

The Empress Dowager's nonsensical and unreasonable arguments made even Eunuch Wang, standing behind the screen, shake his head and smirk.

Pei Muwei raised an eyebrow slightly: "The Empress Dowager's intention is for me to make my concessions subtle. If Your Highness takes one of my pieces, I will take one of Your Highness's pieces in return, keeping the situation evenly matched. I cannot completely destroy Your Highness, nor can I let Your Highness win easily."

Chu Yueyuan's bright eyes curved into a smile as she nodded and said, "Pei Qing is indeed good at summarizing; that's exactly what I meant!"

The emperor and his minister reached an agreement, and the atmosphere returned to normal.

Every time Pei Muwei placed a piece, the Empress Dowager opposite him would look as if she were facing a formidable enemy, pondering for a long time before hesitatingly placing her own piece.

He didn't urge her, poured himself a cup of tea, and gazed quietly at the woman opposite him through the rim of the sky-blue teacup.

In the soft candlelight, the woman's cheeks glowed like jade porcelain, translucent, firm, and smooth. Her head was slightly lowered, her expression focused, sometimes furrowing her brows, sometimes biting her lip. The glass beads between her fingers were reflected in her black pupils, shimmering with an alluring light.

The room was silent. As time slowly passed, more and more blue and green pieces appeared on the chessboard, fighting fiercely and evenly. The slightest mistake would result in total defeat.

Chu Yueyuan hadn't felt such an exhilarating sense of urgency in a long time. She was so nervous that her palms were sweating, and she unconsciously bit her lip hard.

"If the Empress Dowager loosens her grip, her lips will break if she bites down any further."

The man's deep voice broke the silence. Chu Yueyuan looked up and fell into his smiling, bright eyes.

It must be said that the Regent's phoenix eyes were exceptionally beautiful. They were long and narrow, with dark and bright pupils. When he lowered his eyelids, the corners of his eyes appeared even deeper, giving him an imposing and dignified air. But when he smiled, the corners of his eyes elegantly turned up, losing some of their sharpness and revealing a refined and elegant charm.

A blush crept onto her cheeks, and she awkwardly loosened her grip on her teeth, saying softly, "I was momentarily lost in thought and lost my composure..." As she finished speaking, her pink tongue inadvertently licked the faint bite mark on her lips.

Pei Muwei's gaze lingered on the woman's glistening lips for a moment before he calmly took a sip of tea.

Chu Yueyuan turned her gaze back to the chessboard. She pondered for a long time before her brows relaxed.

A beautiful woman's delicate fingers, twirling a weapon, exude charm and allure, yet conceal a deadly intent.

After a few steps, with a thud, the phoenix finally broke free from the evil dragon's relentless pursuit and struck decisively, killing it with a single move.

Chu Yueyuan seemed unable to believe that she had actually won. She blinked her watery eyes and asked doubtfully, "Minister Pei, you...you wouldn't have let me win again, would you?"

Pei Muwei paused slightly as he drank his tea. He stared intently at the chess pieces on the board, realizing he had lost.

We lost completely.

After a moment, he put down his teacup, his voice so calm that no emotion could be detected: "Your Highness's chess skills are superb; I have lost."

After playing chess for two full hours, Chu Yueyuan finally won a game back. Although her methods were not exactly honorable, she was still happy and stretched her arms in delight.

At this moment, the heavy, carved palace door creaked open, and Xiao Yanzi strode in with a solemn expression.

"Your Majesty, the man has been captured!"

————

With the outcome of the game decided, even the demons hiding in the shadows couldn't help but reveal their true forms.

Chu Yueyuan suddenly stood up, the golden-winged hairpin with pearls in its hair shimmering in the candlelight. She asked urgently, "Where is the Emperor?"

Xiao Yanzi hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, the Emperor is fine and has already gone to sleep."

Chu Yueyuan felt a huge weight lifted off her shoulders, thankful that she had made the right bet.

She was convinced that the person who poisoned Xiao Yun was acting on the orders of the Regent, so she told the man about the poisoning.

To avoid alerting the enemy, she announced that the emperor had developed a high fever due to indigestion caused by the poor care of the palace servants, and then brought the emperor to the Phoenix Palace to take care of him personally.

Once the storm had passed and the poisoner had lowered his guard, she went to the Hall of Diligent Governance to attend court, deliberately spreading the news that she wouldn't be returning home late at night, hoping to lure the culprit out.

The entourages of the two vassal kings have arrived in Yizhou and will be heading to the capital in just a few days. Chu Yueyuan believes that the person behind the scenes will not let this opportunity pass.

As for Xiao Yun in the Phoenix Perch Palace, Pei Muwei had already arranged for him to be placed in a safe location.

Sure enough, the fish hidden beneath the surface couldn't resist the temptation and took the bait.

Chu Yueyuan gently placed the chess pieces back into the chess jar. She looked up at the Regent and smiled slightly: "Now that the poisoner has been caught, may I go with Pei Qing to interrogate this person?"

Pei Muwei's brows furrowed slightly, quite surprised by the young empress dowager's request.

The woman's delicate cheeks flushed pink in the candlelight. She leaned forward slightly, elbows resting on the tea table, and whispered in his ear, covering her red lips:

"You flatter me, Lord Pei. My next storybook will be a tale of detective work by the Dali Temple..."

The woman drew near, wafting a delicate fragrance.

The Empress Dowager's fragrance wasn't strong, but once you touched her, the scent lingered. Her soft breath, mixed with the unique fragrance of a woman, brushed against his neck, tickling his heart.

Pei Muwei took a light breath, lowered his eyes, and said in a calm tone: "Since the Empress Dowager is interested, in a few days, the Three Judicial Offices will interrogate the traitors under the Prince of Shu. Your Highness may also come and watch."

Chu Yueyuan smiled and nodded in agreement.

The emperor and his minister walked out of the Hall of Diligent Governance side by side. Suddenly, a series of loud hoofbeats rang out in the night sky, which were particularly loud in the silent palace.

A black horse, like a black whirlwind, rushed into the vermilion palace gate. The scout, dressed in soft armor and with a yellow flag at his waist, dismounted and strode towards the main hall. He knelt on one knee and presented a document sealed with red clay.

"Report! Your Highness, military news has arrived from Yinshan!"

A military report that could prompt a scout to travel hundreds of miles to the palace in the dead of night, without dismounting on the imperial road, must indicate an urgent situation.

Chu Yueyuan turned to the regent beside her.

The man, bathed in moonlight, had a calm and composed demeanor. His relaxed aura was completely different from when he was playing chess with her; he was like a cold sword drawn from its sheath, suddenly becoming sharp and piercing.

As if sensing her gaze, the Regent turned his eyes away.

"Please, Your Majesty, move to the warm pavilion. After I finish my military affairs, I will accompany you to the Phoenix Perch Palace to interrogate the prisoners."

“Military affairs are of utmost importance. Commander Lin is still in Fengqi Palace. Otherwise… I will go and test the waters with that scoundrel. If I can get him to talk, you won’t need to make another trip in the middle of the night.”

The woman tilted her porcelain-like face up, her dark eyes shining brightly in the moonlight, making it impossible to refuse.

Seeing that the young empress dowager wanted to experience being the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Pei Muwei pondered for a moment and said calmly, "Then I will trouble the empress dowager."

"You're too kind, Mr. Pei."

Chu Yueyuan returned to Fengqi Palace in the imperial carriage.

The imperial city was shrouded in a thin mist in the dead of night, like a giant dragon coiled under dark clouds, with a cold and solemn atmosphere permeating the night.

The Phoenix Perch Palace was pitch black, with only a faint candlelight shining through the windows of the sleeping quarters, like the eyes of a dragon gleaming with a cold, eerie light in the darkness.

Commander Lin handled the matter carefully and did not disturb the other palace staff.

The assassin's identity was special; he intended to assassinate the young emperor. To avoid leaks, Lin Mu did not send him to the inner prison but decided to interrogate him overnight.

When Chu Yueyuan entered, the interrogation had just begun.

The room was in complete disarray, with the treasure cabinet overturned and books scattered all over the floor. Several sword marks remained on an overturned sandalwood peony screen, indicating that Lin Mu had fought with this person for a while.

That makes sense, as servants who spend their lives accompanying emperors usually possess some martial arts skills.

The assassin, dressed in black, was tightly bound to a rose-covered armchair. Although his mask had been torn off, his disheveled hair and bowed head obscured his face in shadow. His gaunt figure was cast by the flickering candlelight onto the crimson beaded silk curtains, making him appear to float like a ghost.

"Execute them!"

Lin Mu gave the order in a deep voice, and two guards immediately turned the armchair upside down, so that the assassin who was tied to the armchair was upside down. They then covered his face with a wet cotton towel and scooped up a spoonful of water and slowly poured it on his face.

A moment later, the person trapped in the armchair began to struggle violently, the chair legs rattling on the bluestone floor. Under the damp cloth, a ferocious face contorted in pain, its mouth agape, was clearly visible.

Chu Yueyuan witnessed the scene of torture for the first time, her small face turned slightly pale, and she subconsciously clenched her fingers.

Lin Mu bowed to her and said, “Your Majesty, this man is a tough nut to crack, and bloodshed may follow. To avoid offending Your Highness’s eyes, please move to the side hall.”

Chu Yueyuan knew that interrogating prisoners was not her forte. Now that she had captured the person who attempted to assassinate the emperor, she didn't need to stay here and disturb Commander Lin's duties.

Just as she was about to leave, the guard removed the wet cloth from the assassin's face, allowing the man to catch his breath. Through his long, wet, disheveled hair, a face even paler than plaster was revealed.

This man was none other than the most trusted confidant of the Emperor, the third-rank eunuch adorned with auspicious beast robes—Eunuch Su.

As he gasped for breath of fresh air, his empty pupils caught sight of the woman standing beneath the flower-covered doorway, and a sudden, sharp light appeared in his eyes.

"The Empress Dowager... has actually come. Indeed... if you and the Regent hadn't put on this act together, how could I have fallen for it tonight..."

"Ahem... How did the Empress Dowager guess that it was about our family? Shouldn't the first person the Empress Dowager suspect be the Regent?"

Chu Yueyuan stopped in her tracks. She looked at the pale-faced Eunuch Su, her delicate brows furrowed slightly, but she still spoke calmly:

"His Majesty had dinner in the Phoenix Palace before the poisoning occurred. If the Regent wanted to poison His Majesty, he would have chosen a fast-acting poison so that His Majesty would die in the Phoenix Palace, thus implicating me. But Imperial Physician Zhao said that although the Poisonous Eye Fruit is deadly, it will only take an hour to take effect after ingestion."

"Therefore, I suspect that the person who poisoned the body wanted to evade suspicion, so they chose a poison that takes effect slowly. Based on this, I can deduce that the person who poisoned the body is in the Phoenix Perch Palace."

Chu Yueyuan continued, "Actually, I didn't suspect Eunuch Su at first. However, a month ago, the Inner Palace sent a group of palace servants to Fengqi Palace. I originally wanted to test these people first, but I didn't expect that this test would reveal Eunuch Su."

"Ahem... I underestimated the Empress Dowager... ahem... she's certainly more intelligent than that foolish Consort Chun..."

After a violent coughing fit, the pale face of Eunuch Su turned a sickly rosy red.

It seems that after the Emperor's passing, Eunuch Su did indeed fall seriously ill.

Chu Yueyuan was puzzled by this. Eunuch Su and Emperor Shang had a deep bond. Even if he was determined to avenge Emperor Shang, he should have gone to the Regent to settle accounts.

Yet he murdered the only heir left by the late Emperor Shang, which is truly baffling.

Upon hearing his insults towards Chu Wanxi, Chu Yueyuan had an idea. She stepped forward to stop the two guards who were about to carry out the execution.

"Eunuch Su, did Consort Chun ever mistreat you during her lifetime?"

Eunuch Su sneered, his gaze towards the woman filled with mockery: "The Empress Dowager and Consort Chun were 'deeply devoted sisters,' so she should know what a 'kind' person Consort Chun was. Even on her deathbed, the Consort Chun did not forget to consider her younger sister's 'future,' earnestly requesting the late Emperor to marry the second young lady of the Chu family into the palace as Empress... cough cough cough..."

"...Didn't the Empress Dowager ever wonder... about the reason behind this?"

Chu Yueyuan's gaze suddenly darkened, and she unconsciously pressed her thumb against the white jade nail guard, her voice indifferent: "I am willing to hear the details."

Eunuch Su narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the woman with a strange smile. His high-pitched voice was low and menacing: "If His Highness orders them to leave, I will inform him without reservation..."

Chu Yueyuan saw a cunning smile in his cold eyes and knew that if she took a step into his trap, she would likely fall into an abyss of no return.

But this question had been lingering in her mind for a long time. Ever since Chu Yueyuan received the imperial decree to be crowned empress, she had wanted to ask Chu Wanxi about it.

Why did she request the Emperor to appoint her as Empress?

Is it to preserve the Chu family's prestige?

Or was it because he resented her engagement to Shen Zizhan and deliberately wanted to break up her wonderful marriage?

Or is there some other hidden story?

But Chu Wanxi is dead, and she will never be able to give Chu Yueyuan an answer.

This question, like a seed buried deep in her heart, took root and sprouted day by day, finally bearing a poisonous fruit when Eunuch Su asked it with a sinister smile.

Even if it was a poisonous fruit, at this moment, Chu Yueyuan couldn't help but want to try it.

She turned around, her gaze calm, her tone indifferent: "Commander Lin, all of you may leave the hall. I wish to speak with Eunuch Su alone."

Lin Mu looked troubled and said, "Empress Dowager... I'm afraid..."

"I'm afraid of what? I'm afraid we should ask the Regent first. Commander Lin, have you forgotten that I am the master of Phoenix Perch Palace?"

The candlelight of the bronze goose-fish lamp was dim, casting a faint halo around the woman. However, the sharpness in her eyes was not concealed by the darkness, and her suddenly lowered tone conveyed an invisible sense of oppression befitting a person in a superior position.

Lin Mu glanced at Eunuch Su, who was tightly bound to the armchair, pondered for a moment, then clasped his hands in acceptance of the order: "Then... this humble official will wait outside the hall."

He beckoned the other guards to come out of the palace.

Chu Yueyuan then said calmly to Xiao Yanzi beside her, "You should also go wait outside."

"But Your Highness, I'm worried about leaving you alone..."

"What's there to worry about? These people are all tied up like dumplings. Besides, Commander Lin and the others are guarding outside the palace. If anything happens, I'll just give the call, and you can rush in immediately."

"This servant obeys."

The carved door creaked shut, isolating the inside from the outside. Chu Yueyuan calmly picked up a candlestick and slowly lit a few lamps. The flickering candlelight gradually dispelled the gloom in the room.

"Ahem... The Empress Dowager is truly shrewd; even the Regent's confidants... ahem, are willing to serve Your Highness."

Chu Yueyuan put down the candlestick and said calmly, "Eunuch Su has been working in Fengqi Palace for so long, he should have seen clearly that I am just a puppet to make up for the lack of peace."

She gently stroked the peony-shaped gemstone on her nail guard, her tone turning cold: "Eunuch Su, if you're trying to fool me with nonsense to avoid water torture, then give up on that idea. Once the Regent has finished dealing with military affairs, he'll probably take you to the imperial prison for interrogation."

"At your advanced age, why suffer this at the end? You should tell me who ordered you to assassinate the emperor. If I plead for you, the Regent may spare your life."

Eunuch Su scoffed lightly, narrowed his eyes and smiled, "What do I, a dying man, have to fear from torture!"

The candlelight was bright, and Chu Yueyuan noticed that Eunuch Su's cheeks were sunken without any rouge, and his skin was pale with a bluish tinge, clearly indicating that he was terminally ill.

Her eyes flickered: "Since you are about to die, why did you try to murder the Emperor? Yun'er is the only heir left by the late Emperor. Aren't you afraid that you will have no face to meet the late Emperor in the afterlife?"

Chu Yueyuan's words seemed to touch on Eunuch Su, whose expression suddenly changed, his body stiffened abruptly, and his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

"It is precisely because I fear I will have no face to meet the late Emperor... that I must kill this bastard! Cough cough cough..."

He shouted these words in a low voice, his eyes flashing with madness.

Chu Yueyuan's face darkened, and she coldly rebuked, "What nonsense are you spouting?"

"We say the Emperor is a bastard, a bastard, cough cough..."

"Does the Empress Dowager know what a bastard is? Just like the Regent Prince, who does not have the blood of the Xiao imperial family in his veins!"

"The Emperor is a bastard child born from the affair between Consort Chun and another man!"

Chu Yueyuan's face turned pale. She suddenly clenched her fingers, and the white jade nail guards scraped against the sandalwood tabletop, making a grating, ear-piercing sound.

Seeing the Empress Dowager's astonished expression, Eunuch Su smiled with satisfaction and then revealed this earth-shattering secret.

Emperor Shang reigned for more than ten years without having a son or daughter. On the contrary, several palace women he bestowed upon his relatives and ministers became pregnant shortly after leaving the palace.

During this period, Emperor Shang searched for medical experts among the common people, using all sorts of witchcraft and folk remedies. He even consulted fortune tellers to calculate Chu Wanxi's birth date and time, finding that she was destined to have a dragon son, and bestowed upon her the title of Consort Chun.

Emperor Shang favored Consort Chun every day, but Consort Chun was no different from other concubines in the palace. Despite the emperor's favor, she never achieved her goal of having a child.

With three thousand beauties in the harem, Emperor Shang quickly lost interest in Consort Chun and turned his favor to other fresh and delicate beauties.

It wasn't until a palace banquet for admiring lotus flowers that Consort Chun fainted due to heatstroke. After being treated by the imperial physician, it was discovered that she was three months pregnant.

When Emperor Shang heard the news, he was overjoyed. He summoned the Book of Favored Guests and was so angry that he almost kicked his leg on the spot.

It turns out that the last time he favored Consort Chun was half a year ago, and the child in Consort Chun's belly must be the bastard child of her affair with another man.

Emperor Shang originally intended to secretly execute Consort Chun, but after a second thought, he changed his mind.

At that time, the court officials were all advising Emperor Shang to adopt a member of the imperial clan to establish a crown prince. Among them, the voices of the Prince of Shu were rising, and memorials were flying into the Chuigong Hall like snowflakes every day, making Emperor Shang feel like he was sitting on pins and needles on the dragon throne.

The illegitimate child in Consort Chun's belly could solve his immediate problem.

Moreover, having tried countless folk remedies, Emperor Shang was somewhat aware that the real reason he couldn't give birth to a son wasn't the concubines in the harem, but rather himself.

Therefore, Emperor Shang ordered Eunuch Su to kill all the palace servants who knew the truth, and to change the date of Consort Chun's visit to the emperor, so that the bastard child in Consort Chun's belly could rightfully become the emperor's child.

After Consort Chun gave birth to the prince, she naturally lost her value. Eunuch Su added slow-acting poison to her daily meals, which soon made her bedridden.

"Does the Empress Dowager know how Consort Chun pleaded with the late Emperor before she died?"

Su Gonggong's laughter was shrill and thin. His pale face, swollen from being soaked in water, was twisted and grotesque. The raucous laughter came from deep in his throat, like a harbinger of death, sending chills down one's spine.

"Consort Chun said that she has a younger sister who is stunningly beautiful, obedient, gentle, and quiet, making her the most suitable person to take care of the Crown Prince. She begged the late Emperor to let her sister enter the palace and enjoy the 'glory' that she was unable to fully enjoy!"

Chu Wanxi's request struck a chord with Emperor Shang. Although he had succeeded to the throne, he was incompetent and immoral in court affairs and was suppressed by several powerful clans in the capital. The position of empress had been vacant for many years, and he was waiting for the first concubine to give birth to a prince.

The Chu family is of low social standing and cannot cause much trouble in the court. If a woman from the Chu family were to become empress, the crown prince would be protected and his imperial power would not be affected by the empress's maternal family's influence.

Therefore, after Chu Wanxi's death, Emperor Shang, citing gratitude for Chu Consort's contribution in giving birth to the Crown Prince, issued an imperial edict to the Chu family to make her Empress, thus sealing Chu Yueyuan's fate.

The summer night was unusually hot and humid, but Chu Yueyuan felt a chill all over her body. Her face was ashen, and her fingertips trembled uncontrollably.

So this is the absurd reason why she entered the palace.

Chu Wanxi committed a terrible crime, and even on her deathbed, she did not forget to push her into the fire pit.

Chu Wanxi not only wanted to ruin her marriage and make her experience the loneliness and despair she had suffered in the palace, but also wanted to use her life to cover up this shameful affair on the day the truth came out.

Her own sister is such a cunning schemer!

Seeing the woman's distraught appearance, Eunuch Su couldn't help but smile with a triumphant glint in his eyes, and whispered a word of advice:

"The Empress Dowager must be filled with hatred for Consort Chu right now. Consort Chu's death ended everything, but it left the Empress Dowager with the young emperor, a seed of endless trouble that will surely bring disaster upon His Highness in the future!"

"However, as long as the Empress Dowager eliminates the root of the problem, she will not be implicated..."

The woman's fixed gaze flickered slightly. Her face expressionless, she repeated in a low voice, "Eliminate the root of trouble...eliminate the root of trouble..."

Seeing this, Eunuch Su's expression brightened, and his voice became even more ethereal, like the wisps of incense smoke swirling around the woman's ear, as he whispered:

“That’s right. As long as the young emperor dies, the bloodline of the Great Qi royal family will be purified. The regent will not only not blame the empress dowager, but will also be grateful for her righteous act of putting family members before family.”

"Your Majesty is beautiful and charming, in the prime of your life. Why should you spend your days with Buddhist scriptures and lamplight? Your Highness only needs to capture the Regent's heart, and the position of Empress, the glory of ruling the world, will still be yours!"

A hint of reluctance flashed across the woman's bewildered expression. She frowned, her eyes reddened, and she seemed to be struggling with a painful inner conflict.

"But Yoon-ah is innocent! He's so young, I... just can't bring myself to do it..."

The smile on Eunuch Su's lips suddenly froze. He glanced at the nearly empty lotus-shaped water clock, his tone revealing a hint of urgency:

"If the Empress Dowager can't bring herself to do it, then let this servant eliminate the root of the problem for the late Emperor. Your Highness only needs to tell this servant where the Emperor is now, and then send away the guards at the door. After it is done, this servant is willing to die and will definitely not implicate the Empress Dowager."

The flickering candlelight illuminated the woman's snow-white face, her hair piled high in the clouds, her eyebrows like wisps of smoke, her clear eyes sparkling, like a delicate and harmless jasmine flower.

After a moment's hesitation, as if she had made up her mind, she picked up the silver scissors from beside the candlestick with trembling hands, placed them in Eunuch Su's hand, and sighed softly: "The Emperor has been arranged by the Regent to stay in the southeastern sleeping quarters of the Zichen Palace..."

Overjoyed, Eunuch Su quickly twisted his wrist and cut the hemp rope binding his forearm.

He was so engrossed in his joy that he didn't notice the woman in front of him slowly removing the white jade nail guard from her little finger and gently placing it on the table. She then raised her hand to touch the golden phoenix hairpin with pearls in its hair.

"The Empress Dowager has restored the bloodline of the Great Qi royal family; the spirit of the late Emperor in heaven will surely..."

Su Gonggong's words came to an abrupt halt. His hand, which had just broken free of the hemp rope, trembled as he reached towards his neck and touched a cold, hard golden-winged hair ornament.

It sank deep into his flesh, leaving only half of the phoenix head visible.

Eunuch Su raised his head in disbelief. The woman in his sight had cascading black hair, cold and aloof features, and undisguised contempt in her dark eyes that gleamed with a cold light.

He glared fiercely at the woman, his voice hoarse and weak as he forced it from his throat: "You...you want to protect this bastard child, to defile the royal bloodline, to become...to become a sinner for all time in the Great Qi Dynasty!"

Chu Yueyuan sneered and pushed the gold hairpin deeper into her flesh with even more force.

"The one who confused the royal bloodline was the late emperor. What does it have to do with me? That dog emperor was muddle-headed and incompetent, powerless to control the vassal kings who coveted the throne. In order to consolidate his power, he didn't hesitate to acknowledge other people's sons. His character is no less than that of the most pathetic pimp in the marketplace!"

"You wicked woman!!! Once the Regent discovers that the young emperor is not of the Xiao family bloodline... you wicked woman... will be skinned alive... executed by slow slicing... torn apart by chariots..."

Faced with Eunuch Su's vicious curse, Chu Yueyuan remained calm, her eyes icy cold: "Thank you for your reminder, Eunuch. I will keep this secret."

"It's getting late, Eunuch Su should also set off now, to continue serving the late Emperor from the afterlife..."

———

Dark clouds obscured the moon, and the night wind swept through the corridors, casting dappled shadows on the carved window frames as the palace lanterns swayed.

Lin Mu saw the man walking towards him under the clear moonlight and hurriedly stepped forward, bowing respectfully: "This humble official greets the Regent."

Pei Muwei glanced at the guards in the corridor and said calmly, "Has the Empress Dowager already returned?"

Lin Mu lowered his head and reported in a low voice, "Your Highness, the Empress Dowager wants to interrogate Eunuch Su alone and has ordered us to wait outside."

The man raised an eyebrow, looked up at the inner chamber illuminated by candlelight, and his tone turned cold: "Nonsense!"

In an instant, the guards under the corridor knelt down in a flurry.

Lin Mu clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said with trepidation, "The Empress Dowager's attitude is firm, and this humble official cannot disobey her."

Pei Mu had experienced firsthand the Empress Dowager's stubborn temper. He didn't continue to reprimand Lin Mu, but slowly stroked the jade ring on his thumb: "How long has the Empress Dowager been inside?"

Lin Mu replied without hesitation, "It has been a quarter of an hour. Should Your Highness go in and inform them?"

In a quarter of an hour, the young empress dowager's craving for acting as the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review should have been over.

Just as Pei Muwei was about to give the order, a woman's terrified scream suddenly rang out from the inner hall, sounding particularly horrifying in the quiet night.

Before Lin Mu could react, the black robe with gold trim in front of him vanished in an instant after the woman exclaimed.

The vermilion carved curtains slammed open, and the night wind that rushed in from outside made the soft gauze curtains ripple like waves. In an instant, all the lights and candles in the room went out.

Beneath the layers of swirling gauze, a woman with flowing black hair sat on the floor tiles, her figure graceful and lithe, like a red spider lily blooming in the quiet night.

The alluring Datura flower needs to be nourished by fresh blood to make its petals as vibrant as blood.

Eunuch Su lay on his back on the ground, his hand clutching his neck, blood gushing from between his fingers. His expression was ferocious, his eyes bulging, as if he had seen some terrifying monster before he died.

Even though Lin Mu had witnessed a lot of bloodshed in Beiting, he was still startled by the bizarre scene before him.

"Empress Dowager... what exactly happened? She was perfectly fine just before I left..."

Lin Mu calmed down from his shock. He walked around the blood-stained ground, squatted down and carefully examined Su Gonggong's body. He found that Su Gonggong was holding a pair of silver scissors in his hand. It was clear that Su Gonggong had used these silver scissors to untie the ropes binding him.

But where did these silver scissors come from?

He clearly remembered that he had carefully searched Su Gonggong's body before subduing him.

In the silent bedchamber, the young empress dowager's soft sobs could be heard.

The woman tried to suppress her sobs, only her shoulders trembled slightly, her long hair cascaded down to her waist like a waterfall, revealing her delicate white chin, and her small face, no bigger than a palm, resembled a pear blossom after the rain.

She reached out tremblingly and grasped the black and gold-trimmed hem of her dress in front of her.

An extremely faint force caused the man who could command wind and rain to crouch down and look directly at the woman whose eyelashes were filled with tears.

"Empress Dowager..."

Pei Muwei spoke, and the next moment, the woman opened her arms and flew into his arms like an exhausted butterfly, her arms tightly wrapped around his neck, her moist red lips sliding across his Adam's apple.

Almost instinctively, he raised his arm and put it around her waist.

Hot tears fell in large drops onto his neck and shoulders, quickly soaking his clothes.

The woman's rapid breathing was like goose feathers brushing against his ear, and her trembling sobs revealed panic and helplessness.

"Pei Qing, I... killed someone..."