undercurrent
After returning to the capital, Su Jing did not go to the Qianqing Palace, but went straight to the Shenxing Division. Deep in the dungeon, Shen Ruoqing was chained to the stone wall. When she saw him enter, her eyes immediately ignited with resentment, but she froze when she met his cold gaze.
“My cousin is right.” Su Jing walked slowly closer, his fingertips caressing her chin, his tone as cruel as poisoned ice, “With the blood of the Shen family and the Su family flowing through my veins, I am an extremely cold-hearted person.”
Shen Ruoqing's pupils constricted sharply. Just as she was about to scream, Su Jing grabbed her chin and forced a bowl of dark medicine into her mouth. The bitter taste of the medicine exploded in her mouth. She struggled desperately, but could only watch helplessly as her voice gradually faded away until she couldn't even utter a sound.
After swallowing the mute medicine, Shen Ruoqing's eyes were filled with terror and despair. Su Jing, however, wiped his hands with disgust, ordered someone to bring the most magnificent empress's court robes, and said coldly, "Help the empress change her clothes."
The palace servants dared not disobey and hurriedly helped Shen Ruoqing change into her court robes. Gold hairpins and jewels were piled up in her disheveled hair, making her face look as pale as paper. Su Jing stepped forward, grabbed her shoulder with such force that he almost crushed her joints, and chuckled in her ear, but his tone was full of biting threat: "I gave you the mute drug because I didn't want to hear your nonsense."
"If you move your hand again, I'll cut it off; if you move your foot again, I'll chop it off." His breath brushed past Chen Ruoqing's ear, carrying a chilling ruthlessness. "Cousin, you must have heard of 'human pig,' right? I wouldn't mind letting you taste it."
Shen Ruoqing trembled all over, and seeing the cold madness in Su Jing's eyes, she was finally utterly terrified. She slumped into the arms of the palace servant, no longer daring to resist in the slightest, and could only stare at Su Jing with resentful eyes, but she couldn't even utter a curse.
Su Jing smiled with satisfaction and ordered someone to drag her out of the Shenxing Division.
The next morning, Su Jing embraced Shen Ruoqing and approached the Golden Palace.
This was Su Jing's first court appearance after a month of silence, and the Golden Palace was already filled with complaints. The ministers whispered among themselves, their eyes full of dissatisfaction and doubt as they looked at the dragon throne. Su Jing, however, seemed oblivious, and calmly helped Shen Ruoqing to the dragon throne, his expression as indifferent as if he were merely a little late for court.
"I have summoned you all here today to discuss the war in Jiangnan." Su Jing's voice pierced the silence of the hall and reached everyone's ears clearly.
No sooner had the words been spoken than Censor Zheng Qin stepped forward, his voice sharp: "Your Majesty! You have not attended court for days, and rumors are circulating that you are grieving for the sorcerer and neglecting state affairs! This is a disgrace to the imperial family and shows a disregard for the well-being of the people!"
Vice Minister of Rites Wei Yan and Minister of Revenue Wang Ming followed closely behind, echoing in unison: "Censor Zheng is absolutely right! The flames of war have spread to ten cities in Jiangnan, and the people have been displaced. Yet Your Majesty remains indoors, allowing the chaos to escalate. We implore Your Majesty to prioritize the affairs of the state!"
Their words were like sparks falling into a frying pan, instantly igniting a storm in the court. Ministers discussed the matter animatedly, with voices accusing Su Jing of indulging in personal feelings and neglecting state affairs.
Su Jing listened quietly, a cold smile suddenly curling at the corner of his lips. "Who told you that I am grieving for the Demon Master?"
He suddenly pulled Shen Ruoqing into his arms, his arms wrapped around her waist, and amidst the shocked gazes of the court officials, he declared loudly, "The sorcerer is dead. My absence from court these days is merely due to the tender moments of my new marriage."
He looked down at Shen Ruoqing, his tone carrying a false gentleness: "The Empress has been pregnant with the Emperor's child for over a month, which greatly pleases me. Don't you ministers often say that the continuation of the ancestral temple is also a matter of great importance to the country? Now that I have an heir, I can finally put one of my worries to rest."
"boom--!"
These words struck like a thunderbolt, leaving all the ministers in the hall speechless. Shen Ruoqing was especially shaken, looking at Su Jing in disbelief—he had never touched her, so how could she be pregnant?
But Su Jing's hand had already touched her lower abdomen, his eyes signaling her to behave. Shen Ruoqing was intimidated by the ruthlessness in his eyes and could only stand stiffly, letting him do as he pleased.
The Grand Counselor Li Chonggu was the first to react, immediately kneeling down and shouting, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty! The Empress's pregnancy is truly an auspicious sign for the nation!"
The other ministers, as if waking from a dream, knelt down to offer their congratulations. The accusations from before vanished instantly, leaving only sounds of congratulations in the Golden Palace.
Su Jing raised his hand to quell the tension, his tone returning to its coldness: "Now that everyone has offered their congratulations, shouldn't we discuss the important matters of Jiangnan?"
He ordered his men to "invite" Shen Ruoqing down from the palace. As she was being carried away by the palace servants, his eyes remained completely calm.
The hall fell silent again, and the ministers spoke one after another, all concluding that Shen Ji had encountered the remnants of the former crown prince's faction while dealing with the floods in Jiangnan. They all pleaded with Su Jing to send troops to rescue Shen Ji and quell the rebellion as soon as possible.
Chu Yiran's "soul" hung in the hall, listening to the ministers' discussions, and gradually made sense of the situation—Shen Ji was ostensibly going to Jiangnan to deal with the floods, but in reality, he had already colluded with the former crown prince's old subordinates, attempting to threaten Su Jing.
Su Jing and Huo Yan exchanged a glance, understanding each other perfectly, but they went along with the ministers' words and put on an act: "Prime Minister Shen is a pillar of the country, and I will naturally send troops to rescue him as soon as possible, and I will not let the treacherous ministers succeed."
He then changed the subject, speaking solemnly: "But a country cannot be without a prime minister for even a day. I have decided that Minister Li will temporarily assume the position of prime minister and concurrently serve as regent; Huo Yan will serve as the vanguard general, leading the imperial guards on the first expedition."
"As for me," Su Jing stood up, his dragon robe fluttering in the wind, "I will personally travel to Jiangnan with the Empress and lead an expedition."
Zheng Qin immediately stepped forward to stop her: "Your Majesty! The Empress is pregnant, and the long journey may harm the imperial fetus. This is absolutely forbidden!"
Su Jing sneered, his gaze sweeping over him: "The Empress is the daughter of Minister Shen. Since learning of her father's misfortune, she has been unable to eat or sleep. I brought her along only so that she could reunite with her father as soon as possible."
These words left Zheng Qin speechless, unable to utter another word of objection.
Su Jing said no more, and with a flick of his sleeve, said, "Court adjourned."
——
After the court session ended, Su Jing brought Huo Yan to the Qianqing Palace. Su Jing sat behind the dragon desk, his fingertips lightly tapping the table, his gaze falling on the brocade book Huo Yan handed him: "Have you investigated all the people Shen Ji planted in the court?"
Huo Yan bowed and presented the list, his voice solemn: "Your Majesty, the investigation has been completed. These people all supported Shen Ji in court and also secretly communicated with him in private. They are all recorded on the list."
Chu Yiran's "soul" drifted to the desk, his gaze sweeping over the names on the register—Censor Zheng Qin, Vice Minister of Rites Wei Yan, Minister of Revenue Wang Ming… A long, densely packed list of names, shocking to the eye. He was completely unaware that Shen Ji's influence had already infiltrated the court to this extent, like an impenetrable net.
Su Jing paused in his flipping through the roster, a cold glint in his eyes: "No rush." He closed the roster, his tone calm yet ruthless, "We'll find the right opportunity to uproot them completely, leaving no one alive."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a hurried report came from outside the hall: "Your Majesty! Someone attempted to sneak into the Imperial Prison to check on the Empress's condition. After being stopped by your subordinates, the man committed suicide on the spot!"
Su Jing and Huo Yan exchanged a glance and quickly walked out of the hall. In the courtyard, the corpse of a man in black lay on the ground, his face covered with a black cloth, his body thin. Su Jing bent down, reached out and pulled off the cloth, revealing a young face.
The old palace maid serving nearby suddenly gasped and her body trembled slightly.
"You recognize him?" Su Jing looked up at the palace servant, his eyes sharp.
The old palace servant quickly bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, this is Zhao Shunde, the palace servant on duty in the Imperial Kitchen. He is responsible for delivering meals to the various palaces on a daily basis."
Su Jing sneered, his tone full of sarcasm: "My uncle has quite a few spies planted in the palace."
He turned to look at the old palace servant and asked casually, "What's your name? How long have you been serving in the palace?"
"This old servant, Li Cheng, has been serving in the Qianqing Palace for twenty-three years," the old palace servant replied respectfully, his head bowed low.
Su Jing nodded and immediately ordered: "From today onwards, you will be the chief steward of the imperial palace. Immediately go and sort out the rosters of palace servants in each palace. Investigate and clarify the names of anyone who is related to Shen Ji or whose origins are unknown, and report to General Huo."
Li Cheng was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed, and knelt down to accept the order: "This servant obeys the decree!"
After Li Cheng led the Imperial Guards to dispose of the bodies and leave, only Su Jing and Huo Yan remained in the Qianqing Palace.
Huo Yan sighed, his voice heavy: "When you and General Chu went to the northern desert, I was worried that Shen Ji would cause trouble in the court, but I did not expect that he would go directly to Jiangnan."
"Under the pretext of inspecting the flood situation, he secretly gathered Su Qi's old troops and stockpiled military strength," Huo Yan continued. "When you returned from the northern desert, he sent his spies to negotiate, proposing two conditions—first, to make Shen Ruoqing empress, and second, to kill General Chu."
His voice suddenly choked, his eyes filled with regret: "Otherwise, he would have immediately raised an army in rebellion. You resorted to this charade to appease him temporarily, but you never expected General Chu..."
Chu Yiran stood frozen in place, as if struck by lightning.
I see.
After returning from the northern desert, he was so immersed in grief over the death of his parents that he was completely unaware that Shen Ji had already threatened Su Jing. At that time, Shen Ji had already manipulated the rumors among the people, and his cronies were everywhere in the court. Su Jing dared not make any rash moves and could only pin all the blame on him, labeling him a "traitorous sorcerer who brought disaster to the country," and even agreeing to make Shen Ruoqing empress—all of this was an expedient measure to appease Shen Ji.
But Su Jing, why didn't you tell me?
Su Jing closed his eyes, his knuckles turning white from the force, his voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible: "I thought... I could protect him. I thought the plan to fake my death was foolproof, but Shen Ruoqing still managed to find a loophole."
His shoulders trembled slightly, filled with self-reproach: "I was too arrogant, thinking I could control everything, but in the end I still ruined him."
Seeing his pained expression, Huo Yan hesitated to speak, and finally could only sigh.
In this game of power, everyone is a pawn, and every move is calculated. In the end, he and Su Jing both suffered heavy losses in this game.
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