The Empress was in an extremely foul mood as she looked at Duke Cao and said, “I warned you before—Lu Zhiliang was useful but had to be handled with care. I never expected him to leave behind a promissory note for the ten thousand taels he borrowed from Xingan Marquis.”
Duke Cao, seeing the Empress’s anger, responded, “Your Majesty need not worry—the matter has already been resolved, hasn’t it?”
Resolved?
The Empress barely contained her fury as she glared at Duke Cao. “Do you understand? I had planned to use this matter later, but now I was forced to play this card early.”
A life-saving trump card—gone, just like that.
How could she not be distressed?
Duke Cao, however, remained indifferent. “It was merely an affair. Besides, the woman is already dead—why dwell on it?”
“Ten thousand taels for her life? That was cheap!” the Empress spat venomously.
Back then, the Emperor had ventured out in disguise and encountered a beautiful woman, leading to this troublesome entanglement.
Fortunately, the woman was of low birth—otherwise, the Emperor might have brought her into the palace.
At the time, the Empress had not yet fully secured her position, with four consorts constantly pressuring her from behind, while the Emperor was infatuated with another woman outside the palace. With no alternative, she devised a plan.
She had persuaded the Emperor that the woman’s lowly background would never be accepted by the court. Instead, she suggested housing her outside the palace to learn proper etiquette, promising to bring her into the palace when the time was right.
That ten thousand taels was the Emperor’s payment to settle the woman outside.
Lu Zhiliang had been entrusted with the task, though the Emperor had no idea that Lu Zhiliang had already been bribed by her.
The ten thousand taels were indeed given to the woman, but the Empress also ensured that word spread.
A weak woman carrying such a fortune was bound to attract greedy eyes.
She still remembered the Emperor’s shocked and sorrowful expression upon learning of the woman’s death.
This was a matter that could never be exposed. After all these years, if not for the audit of the imperial Horse Bureau’s accounts, the Emperor would never have remembered the money—or the woman who had long since turned to dust.
She had not expected, however, that Lu Zhiliang had borrowed money from Xingan Marquis and left a signed note.
Xingan Marquis…
The Empress thought of this and looked at Duke Cao. “You must keep an eye on Xingan Marquis. He will surely be displeased about this matter. Tell him that as long as He Wanyi successfully bears a son, I will help her become Yu Wangfei in the future.”
Duke Cao replied gravely, “Xingan Marquis understands the balance of power. He knows better than to turn against us.”
The Empress, however, remained uneasy. “With this mess, the imperial Horse Bureau has completely fallen into Huang Shao’s hands. He truly is a tough nut to crack. Now is not the time to act against him. We will wait for the storm to pass.”
Anyone who held the seal of the imperial Horse Bureau could be tempted by greed, and once that happened, she would have leverage over them.
But for now, she had lost both her strategy and her leverage.
“Has the matter with Fengcheng Marquis been handled?” the Empress asked.
“Rest assured, Your Majesty. The courier soldiers were ambushed and killed by bandits—just unfortunate luck,” Duke Cao replied with a smirk. What did it have to do with them?
Even if Duan Wang personally investigated, all he would find was a bandit stronghold to eliminate as a scapegoat.
The Empress finally relaxed, then added, “I never expected the Emperor to send Duan Wang to lead the army. Consort Shu and her son have done a fine job of playing the long game.”
Duke Cao, however, remained unconcerned. “His Highness the Crown Prince cannot leave the capital easily, and Jin Wang has fallen out of favor due to the matter with Yu Wang. Qi Wang is too reckless, and Kang Wang is out of the question. The only viable choice left was Duan Wang.
“Your Majesty need not worry. This is merely a temporary measure. The Emperor will never allow Duan Wang to grow strong enough to threaten the Crown Prince.”
The Empress’s expression remained heavy—she did not share Duke Cao’s optimism.
if only Duan Wang never returned from Qinan.
***
The old records of the Imperial Horse Bureau were burned to ashes, leaving Huang Shao feeling both relieved and apprehensive.
At least he had secured his position.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of War’s investigation into the missing couriers led them straight to the mountain bandits. Not only had they killed the couriers, but they had long terrorized the local populace. The common people were filled with resentment, and Minister Ye Fu seized the opportunity to submit a strong denunciation.
The Emperor, enraged, ordered the local officials to be arrested and brought to the capital for punishment, replacing them with new appointees whose first task was to exterminate the bandits.
Xiao Muchen was still on his military campaign, but his wedding date had been set for March. The officials from the Ministry of Rites were proceeding with the formal betrothal procedures, and the Marquis household was in a flurry of activity preparing for Mingxi’s wedding.
Madam Jiang… had no role to play whatsoever.
Mingxi’s marriage was personally overseen by the Old Madam, and every part of her dowry was carefully selected.
Meanwhile, Duan Ning was preparing for the imperial exams. The household had been instructed not to disturb him while he studied.
With the capital still in turmoil, Mingxi refrained from going out except to visit the Duan family. Even when her friends invited her for tea, she declined.
The Empress and Crown Prince had suffered a heavy blow this time—Mingxi had no intention of walking into their line of fire.
On the surface, the Eastern Palace remained stable. But Mingxi knew that the ten thousand taels had been the Empress’s contingency plan—now prematurely used up. She must be furious.
Duan Wang had left the capital, and Consort Shu was being cautious. The Empress couldn’t get a hold on them, and if she turned her frustration on Mingxi, she wouldn’t be able to withstand it at the moment. Staying indoors was the safest strategy.
It wasn’t that she was afraid, but at this critical juncture, she couldn’t afford to stir up trouble.
The Old Madam called Mingxi over and handed her the dowry list with a smile. “Take a look, see if it’s to your satisfaction.”
Mingxi glanced over it briefly and was genuinely surprised—this was a generous dowry.
“Grandmother, I know the state of our family’s finances. There are still other siblings who will need funds for their own marriages. This dowry is too extravagant,” Mingxi said, shaking her head.
The Old Madam chuckled. “Even a broken ship still has three pounds of nails. Our family is only improving; we won’t shortchange the others. But you are different—you’re marrying into the imperial family. Your dowry cannot be shabby. This is your foundation.”
Mingxi gazed at the bright red, gold-embossed dowry ledger, her emotions complicated.
She had once resented them deeply.
Her past life’s tragedy was intertwined with them.
Now, having been reborn, she had chosen to align with them, to help them—not out of forgiveness, but because she needed allies. She needed the weight of the Marquis household’s reputation.
Yet after spending so much time together, some things had inevitably changed.
What had once been mere pretense had, unknowingly, developed into something real.
The Old Madam didn’t notice the flicker of emotion in Mingxi’s lowered eyes. With a soft sigh, she said, “I wonder if Duan Wang will return in time. If he doesn’t, the wedding will have to be postponed.”
Hearing Xiao Muchen’s name, Mingxi’s mind drifted. She wondered how he was doing.
At that moment, Xiao Muchen was far from well.
Fengan Marquis, under the “treatment” of the imperial physicians, had miraculously recovered.
But somehow, news had leaked to Qinan that their grain supplies were running low. Now, Qinan’s forces were attacking relentlessly like madmen.
The military’s food stores had barely three days’ worth of rations left.
Fengan Marquis, nearly tearing his hair out in frustration, turned to Duan Wang. “Wangye, if this continues, we’ll be sacrificing ourselves for the country. We need a plan.”
Then, with a rather twisted expression, he added, “if worse comes to worst, we’ll have to requisition grain from the locals.”
“Are you looking to die?” Duan Wang said coldly, his eyes piercing.
Fengan Marquis: …
Not at all, thanks.
But what choice did he have?
