Torn Silk
Autumn deepens and frost falls.
This autumn in the capital was particularly grim. Duke Cheng'en, Lin Zhaoren, was ordered to reflect on his mistakes within his palace. Though he wasn't stripped of his title or dismissed from office, the emperor's suspicions were palpable. The once bustling Yonghe Palace had quietly cooled, with Lin Wanru feigning illness. The once dazzling imperial concubine seemed to have lost her energy and spirit overnight, leaving only a forced, graceful shell.
At court, the turmoil caused by the military supply case and the bloody incident in the courtroom hadn't subsided, but rather was surging in the shadows. The three-court trial had stalled due to the "disappearance" of a key witness, and the investigation into Zhao Kai was progressing slowly due to a lack of direct evidence. Yet, an invisible pressure hung heavy over everyone involved. Han Mingyuan continued to attend court daily, his expression solemn, as if he held within his arms a blazing flame capable of incinerating everything, waiting for the right moment.
On that day, an urgent military report arrived in Beijing from eight hundred miles away in the northern borderlands. It wasn't an enemy invasion, but rather that Duke Zheng of the State, Wei Zheng, had been inspecting various garrisons and forts under the pretext of "recovering from injury and inspecting border defenses." During his inspection, he had dismissed three mid-level generals on charges of "collusion with merchants, self-serving behavior, and negligence." Coincidentally, all three were from the same hometown as Zhao Kai, and one of them had a close relationship with the Ruichanglong trading company.
Upon hearing the news, Xiao Jingche remained silent for a long time in the imperial study. Wei Zheng's actions, seemingly intended to rectify military discipline, were in reality a resolute response to the previous assassination attempt and the impeachment at court. He was using his actions to make it clear to everyone that the Northern Frontier Army, though a Wei, and more importantly, a Xiao, name, was not a place to be easily manipulated or framed. This assertiveness, echoed by the empress's silence in Kunning Palace, formed a silent alliance of pressure.
Xiao Jingche felt an unprecedented sense of isolation. Han Mingyuan, a "reliable minister," pressed his hand at court; Lu Qinglan, a "great Buddha," sat secure in the harem; Wei Zheng, a "sword," gleamed at the border; even his own maternal family, the Cheng'en Mansion, seemed embroiled in unspeakable filth. As the emperor, he seemed to possess immense power, but in reality, his every move was fraught with difficulty.
"Go to Kunning Palace." He suddenly stood up, his voice dripping with a barely perceptible weariness. He needed to see Lu Qinglan, not as an emperor addressing his empress, but as someone seeking answers. He wanted to know what she was trying to do? To tear apart everything they had once built together.
Inside Kunning Palace, warmth filled the air, the scent of sandalwood lingering in the air. Lu Qinglan wasn't busy at her desk as usual, but instead sat on a soft couch by the window. Before her lay a game of chess, its black and white pieces tangled, a scene of murderous intent. Seeing Xiao Jingche enter, she didn't stand, but simply looked up, her gaze calm and unwavering.
"Your Majesty, how come you have time to come to my place today?" She said in a casual tone, as if it was just a casual greeting.
Xiao Jingche dismissed his attendants, leaving the two of them alone in the vast hall. He walked to the couch, his eyes sweeping across the chessboard before landing on Lu Qinglan's face. "The Queen seems to have lost some weight lately." He tried to regain a touch of his former warmth, but his words came out dry.
"Your Majesty, thank you for your concern. Perhaps it's the autumn dryness that has caused my poor appetite." Lu Qinglan picked up a black piece and rubbed it on his fingertips without putting it down.
The silence that stretched between the two was more suffocating than any heated argument.
"Does the Queen know about Wei Zheng's actions in the Northern Frontier?" Xiao Jingche finally couldn't help but get to the point.
Lu Qinglan paused for a moment, then looked up at him with a barely perceptible sneer in her eyes: "Your Majesty, do you think that the generals at the borders should report to a woman like me in the palace when they are rectifying military affairs?"
"Lu Qinglan!" Xiao Jingche's suppressed anger was ignited, and his voice suddenly rose. "How long are you going to pretend to be ignorant with me? The military supply case, the trade route dispute, Wei Zheng's assassination, the bloody incident in the court... each and every one of these things, weren't you behind it? You have turned this court and harem upside down, what exactly do you want to do?!"
He took a few steps forward, staring down at her condescendingly, his chest heaving slightly with excitement.
Lu Qinglan looked at him quietly, watching the anger and suspicion surging in his eyes, as well as a hint of confusion that he himself hadn't even noticed. She suddenly felt a little ridiculous and a little pathetic.
She slowly put down the chess piece, stood up, and met his gaze. Her voice was clear and cold: "Your Majesty, you asked me what I wanted to do? Well, I would like to ask you, Your Majesty. Back in the Qian Mansion, Your Majesty once held my hand and said, 'If I ever achieve my ambitions, I will share this vast land with you.' Do you still mean what you said?"
Xiao Jingche's pupils shrank, as if something had hit his heart. He said sternly, "I am the Son of Heaven! The world belongs to me! How can we share it? Queen, don't forget your duty!"
"Duty?" Lu Qinglan chuckled, but there was no warmth in her laughter. "Is your Majesty's duty to allow others to deliver a cup of poisoned wine to me?"
As soon as these words came out, it was like a thunderclap!
Xiao Jingche suddenly took a half step back, the blood drained from his face, his eyes filled with unbelievable horror: "You...what nonsense are you talking about!"
"Your Majesty knows best whether I'm talking nonsense or not." Lu Qinglan's gaze was like an icy blade, piercing the deepest secrets in his heart. "Although that cup of wine wasn't given by Your Majesty personally, who in the palace would dare to commit such a rebellious act against the queen of a nation without Your Majesty's tacit approval? Your Majesty, in times of hardship, I was a helping hand; but in times of joy, am I a stumbling block that needs to be removed?"
Her words were heartbreaking. The tragic death in her previous life, the forbearance after rebirth, and the calculated calculations at every step, at this moment, turned into the sharpest weapon, completely tearing apart the last layer of veil called "marital love" between her and Xiao Jingche!
Xiao Jingche opened his mouth, wanting to retort, to scold her for spreading rumors and misleading the public, but looking into her all-seeing, icy eyes, all the words stuck in his throat. He couldn't deny that he was indeed wary of Lu Qinglan's growing power, and he did choose to stand by and watch the Queen Dowager and the royal family's actions against the Queen. He never wanted her dead, but at the time, her death seemed to calm many disputes and make his throne more secure...
This tacit thought was now ruthlessly exposed by Lu Qinglan, leaving him with nowhere to hide.
"You...you're crazy..." he muttered, his voice dry.
"I'm not crazy." Lu Qinglan retracted her gaze and looked back at the remaining chess game. Her tone returned to calm, yet with a sense of resolute detachment. "I've simply figured it out. In this world, the only one you can rely on is yourself. Since Your Majesty desires absolute authority, I...will no longer be an eyesore to Your Majesty."
She raised her hand slightly, as if to send the guest off: "Your Majesty, please return. You do not need to come to Kunning Palace again unless necessary."
Xiao Jingche stared at her in a daze, watching her resolute back as she turned, watching the chill that enveloped her, a chill that kept everyone at arm's length. He knew that something had been completely lost the moment he allowed that poisoned cup to exist. Today, he had merely welcomed the final sound of its shattering.
Just like the finest brocade, it can be torn apart without the possibility of being mended again.
He stumbled, turned, and walked out of Kunning Palace. Outside, the autumn wind howled, swirling dead leaves and chilling him to the bone. He looked up at the gray sky and felt that this vast imperial city had never felt so empty and desolate.
In Kunning Palace, Lu Qinglan stood alone for a long time before slowly sitting back down beside the couch, his fingertips brushing against the cold chess pieces.
"Fuyu."
"The servant is here."
"Send a message to Han Mingyuan, and we can start preparing for the next step. Also, tell our people in Beidi that it's time to let the envoy sent by 'Ninth Brother' 'accidentally' reveal his whereabouts."
Her voice was soft, but it carried a coldness and determination that came after the dust had settled.
The sound of silk tearing has begun, and the curtain has been raised. What follows is a true life-and-death struggle.
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