Destiny has returned
"Respectfully seeing off General Tang, we await your triumphant return to the court." Fu Qinxiang said with her hands clasped, her eyes reflecting the light of the golden rain bell in front of the palace—this bell was bestowed by the emperor, which could reflect thousands of fine shimmering lights when it rained, and now, bathed in the sunlight, it shone beautifully.
Tang Yao felt an overwhelming sense of admiration. Looking at Fu Qinxiang's slender back, she thought to herself that if she hadn't been sent to the music academy as a child, perhaps she could have pursued a career in government, like Fu Qinxiang, and made a name for herself. She looked down at her calloused fingertips and mimicked the gesture of holding a pen. This action was witnessed by Fu Qinxiang, who had turned around.
Fu Qinxiang stepped forward, took out a handkerchief from her sleeve and placed it on the table in front of Tang Yao. She then dismissed the guards, turned to the side to block their view, and whispered, "Here, you can vent whatever you want."
Tang Yao didn't need anyone's comfort; she knew she would recover on her own after a while. But now, someone was suddenly so understanding, and she couldn't help herself, picking up her handkerchief to cover her face and weeping. She had been following Fu Qinxiang's political training on and off for over ten days, but due to protocol, she hadn't seen Fu Qinxiang's face. Now, she wanted to see her, thinking she could just glance at her, but she met Fu Qinxiang's concerned gaze. Tang Yao was so frightened that she dared not look up again.
“You can watch it.” Fu Qinxiang’s voice was as gentle as water. “If I say you can, then you can.”
Tang Yao wiped away her tears before looking up at Fu Qinxiang. The woman before her was slightly over twenty, with flat, shallow eyebrows, a sharp nose, and lips that gleamed coldly. Her dark eyelashes made her eyes appear slightly flat, giving them a dull, almost melancholic quality. Tang Yao had seen many women in the brothel, some radiant, some alluring; she had witnessed their vibrant, colorful youth. But she had never heard such a somber, melancholic melody. She had never heard anything like it…
“You look so gray and dusty, I'm sorry to have frightened you.” Fu Qinxiang broke the silence, her eyes unwavering.
“No, the Imperial Preceptor is beautiful as a flower and the moon,” Tang Yao said earnestly.
Spring is truly wondrous; it sows more than just seeds.
—————
"I want to see Father!" Xie Feihua, already known for her strong and unyielding character, now faced with the man she hated to the core yet was powerless to stop, could only swallow her tears and say, "If I cannot even see him, then forget about the 200,000 troops!" Xie Feihua then thought, why not use these 200,000 troops to storm into the ruined hall, wipe out Fu Qinxiang and the others, and rescue her father? With this thought, a fierce glint appeared in her eyes, and she clenched her fists.
“What’s the rush? Miss Xie has lent you troops, so your father will be able to live out his natural lifespan,” Fu Qinxiang said, pacing back and forth, glancing at her tense expression. “But if you have any wicked intentions, then who knows what might happen.”
"You!" Xie Feihua dared not shout again. Fu Qinxiang stepped forward, put a hand on her shoulder and rubbed it, and said, "Don't let personal feelings delay national affairs. Wouldn't it be a pity to waste such a good opportunity?" After saying that, Fu Qinxiang looked up and glanced at Xie Feihua, which made Xie Feihua's hair stand on end.
"Since there's nothing to do with the rain, why leave our troops idle? It's more worthwhile to supply the Tang army. Heroes need a place to use their skills." Fu Qinxiang lightly tapped Xie Feihua's shoulder with her slender fingers, as if she were calculating something.
Xie Feihua glared at Fu Qinxiang, gritting her teeth, and said, "Southern soldiers are not suited for fighting in the snow, and now you're sending them to Qiongju?" She grabbed Fu Qinxiang's wrist, her grip so tight it could easily break it, "You're blatantly trying to kill me!"
The guard had his hand on the hilt of the dagger, but when he saw Fu Qinxiang's other sleeve drooping down and making a "it's alright" gesture, he stopped and stood still.
Fu Qinxiang tried to pull her hand away, but to no avail. She could only say softly, "Your father..." Upon hearing these two words, Xie Feihua let go, threw the military tally on the ground, and slammed the door shut as he left.
Fu Qinxiang watched Xie Feihua's indignant back with amusement in her eyes. She pointed to the talisman with her finger, and a guard stepped forward, picked it up, wiped it with his sleeve, and handed it to her.
"You should have listened to me earlier," Fu Qinxiang said with a smile, turning her head to the guard. "How's the investigation into the transcription going?"
Konoe replied, "There is no doubt that Liu Guanhua used Jiang Heng's exam paper."
Fu Qinxiang sneered and said, "I knew he was so cunning. The Liu family has been abusing their power since the previous dynasty, and it has even spread to this prosperous era."
"What does the Imperial Advisor think?" The guard looked down at Fu Qinxiang. "If this person is not eliminated, he will become uncontrollable once he starts to act like a fox borrowing the tiger's power."
"Don't rush." Fu Qinxiang still looked composed and confident, her proud eyebrows standing tall and imposing.
Fu Qinxiang pointed to the table, on which was the information gathered by the secret agents. She said slowly, "He has a sixteen-year-old younger sister. She also participated in the selection at the ceremony that day, but unfortunately the emperor only took a liking to Tang Yao. She should still be in her boudoir now."
Konoe immediately understood and felt relieved. Then she thought to herself, "In that case, the one who is truly capable is that Jiang Heng." Then she was greatly shocked, "In that case, this person should have been the top scholar for three years...."
Fu Qinxiang nodded slowly and said, "This person must be used by me. If not, then kill him." She seemed to have made up her mind. "Investigate his whereabouts."
"Reporting to the Grand Preceptor, this person should be at Half-Day Flower." The Imperial Guard's tone was somewhat doubtful.
"Look at me, I forgot about that." Fu Qinxiang frowned. "Send someone to keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn't lose his life."
The guard agreed, then, remembering Liu Guanhua's secret chamber, asked, "Liu Guanhua, entrusted by the Imperial Preceptor, has already planted spies. Right now, we..."
“You really trust him more than I do.” Fu Qinxiang raised one eyebrow. “You’ve disappointed me.”
Konoe looked slightly embarrassed after hearing this and didn't dare to reply. He stood there and reviewed what Fu Qinxiang had just said to make sure that nothing went wrong.
Fu Qinxiang murmured, "Now I'm just like a demon, taking lives everywhere."
Konoe looked at her meaningfully and remained silent.
—————
“I am very close to Jiang Zhong and have met Jiang Heng a few times. Jiang Heng was exceptionally intelligent from a young age and has been on the right track for the imperial examinations in recent years. He should not be overlooked. I wonder what has gone wrong with him, that he has not passed the examinations and entered the court… No, I am afraid there is another reason…” Chen Zhusheng sighed, his chess piece remaining untouched for a long time.
Guo Zheng sighed, "If this person were to actually enter the court and become an official under Fu Qinxiang, he would probably end up in the same situation as us. If given the chance, I would rather he be in a lower position, even if it means he ends up on Zhao Chen's side." He stared intently at his black pieces, pondering how to break the deadlock.
"Finding him is the most important thing right now. I'm not worried about whether he can settle down in Fu Qinxiang..."
How do you know?
"...Supervisor, don't be anxious. This man is all alone, without any ties or worries, unlike you and me, who have something to hold against him." Chen Zhusheng said hoarsely, seeing Guo Zheng making a move towards the edge, he vehemently blocked him. "The Jiang family has always been good at educating their children, so there's no need to worry about his stance."
Guo Zheng placed a piece on the board and continued, "How can we find it? Without an urgent order from the court, it would be extremely difficult to find it openly, and even more so in secret." He thought to himself that he had acted too hastily and it was now useless.
Chen Zhusheng noticed that he seemed to regret it. He silently picked up the black chess piece and threw it back into Guo Zheng's chess box, saying, "Yue Fengren does have a guerrilla team under his command who is efficient. Why don't we persuade him to help us?"
“Just say that Jiang Heng stole the golden bell in front of my hall, and that our men are incompetent and have not been able to capture him yet. Then just ask to borrow some chess pieces.” Guo Zheng placed his hand on the chessboard, giving Chen Zhusheng a move. “The Jiang family has completely disappeared after Jiang Zhong’s death. Now Jiang Heng should be living a muddled life. He has nowhere to turn, so stealing is perfectly reasonable.”
Chen Zhusheng hesitated for a moment, but finally agreed. He asked the servant by the door, "Do you understand what the supervisor just said?" The servant bowed and nodded.
Chen Zhusheng continued, "Pass on my message: send someone who is quick on their feet and speaks clearly to see Master Yue Fengren. Tell him that there are some stubborn thieves who have injured people and damaged property and are difficult to apprehend. Ask him to send his men to help."
The servant was about to leave after receiving the order when Chen Zhusheng stopped him, pointed to the golden box on the table by the door, and told him to take it with him.
"The situation in Ganjiang is still stable now, but if His Majesty rushes to launch a strong attack on Shajiesai and Qiongju, I'm afraid it will only result in a loss of troops." Guo Zheng frowned, looking at his encircled territory that was about to be completely devoured, and sighed softly.
"The Emperor clearly wants Zhao Si dead. Now that the Sa Ta Cavalry has been reunited, I'm afraid even this elite force will be buried in vain on the frontier." Chen Zhusheng also sighed, both of them had played poorly in this game.
The two men moved the chess pieces simultaneously, and seeing that the other man's movements were in sync, they smiled knowingly and put away the chessboard.
"Brother Chen, why are you in such a hurry to promote Jiang Heng?" Guo Zheng asked with some doubt. "He is just the youngest son of the Jiang family. Whether he is reborn or dies, the Jiang family will never rise again."
Chen Zhusheng raised his eyes, meeting those cloudy yet deep gazes, and said, "I did not intend to support the Jiang family. Jiang Zhong's last words to me before he died were to entrust me with helping Jiang Heng. He must have foreseen that Jiang Heng would be ostracized everywhere afterward. Sure enough, Jiang Heng, who could recite the Four Books and Five Classics by heart at the age of five and was proficient in political strategy and current affairs, failed the imperial examinations for three years. He cannot succeed on his own, but perhaps with our help, he can rise to prominence. Da Zhao... may need him."
Guo Zheng was somewhat surprised. If that were truly the case, this person was undoubtedly a promising talent, destined for great things. Regardless of who he was given the position to, once in office, he could truly cause chaos. As for Zhao Chen, following him at least guaranteed that the man wouldn't harbor any ulterior motives, would remain dutiful, and serve the country. Fu Qinxiang was even better; since Chen Zhusheng was so certain that Jiang Heng wouldn't go astray, then this man was trustworthy. If he could divert Fu Qinxiang's influence, the four of them would certainly have some breathing room.
"This game is really unsatisfying," Guo Zheng said, his words carrying a hidden meaning. "I'm afraid someone is trying to steal my king."
Chen Zhusheng laughed and replied, "I'll come another day." He teased, "This old man's skills are still sharp."
As the bells and drums sounded, Guo Zheng rose and bid farewell to Chen Zhusheng, then left with his guards through the flower corridor.
"Send a capable person to secretly protect them, and coordinate with Chen Zhusheng's team, one in the open and one in the shadows, to prevent any mishaps," Guo Zheng whispered to his guards.
He looked up at the blue-purple ribbon that ran through the north-south alley, and felt increasingly suffocated—he would be bound here from now on, trembling with fear in a position that everyone envied.
The phoenix silhouette appeared on the horizon amidst the tolling of bells. This was part of Fu Qinxiang's conspiracy. In the imperial court, it seemed that someone was creating the illusion of being the chosen one, but in reality, it was a case of the victor taking all and no one being the "Son of Heaven."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com