In the study of the Crown Prince’s residence in the capital, tea had been served long ago—finest Biluochun—but at this moment the Crown Prince had no mood to savor it. Instead, he let the steam gradually dissipate, his eyes staring straight at the floating and sinking tea leaves, his expression uncertain.
Pei Bi knelt at his side, merely keeping his head lowered without speaking. The Crown Prince snorted coldly and heavily dropped the tea lid onto the tea bowl. In the past, he and Pei Bi addressed each other as brothers, their relationship extremely close, but at this moment he couldn’t even hide the anger on his face. No matter how illustrious the Pei family was, ultimately there was one point—the Pei family’s prosperity in the future would still depend on the Crown Prince. Therefore, no matter how good his relationship with Pei Bi, once major matters arose, the Crown Prince was still the master and the Pei family still servants.
The Crown Prince said coldly: “Look at what a fine mess you’ve made, implicating me so I’ve lost face even before Mother Empress! Those Zhao Zong father and son were truly stupid—given countless instructions and plans, yet they still ruined everything in their hands! Didn’t you say everything was under control? How did you let that Zhao Xianghe cause such a heaven-overturning disaster, and right under everyone’s watchful eyes at that! How exactly did you handle this!”
Pei Bi’s voice was very respectful. He lowered his eyes and said in a low voice: “Reporting to the Crown Prince, that Zhao Xianghe was originally under my control, but this person is unbearably stupid and overly confident, which is why he fell for Li Weiyang’s trick, mistakenly believing that Guo family’s Fifth Young Master had truly brought evidence unfavorable to the Zhao family into the palace to file an imperial complaint. Once it implicated the Zhao family’s interests, no matter how many times I warned him, he refused to believe me, only thinking we were deliberately making him a laughingstock. At the grand banquet, I had already arranged for people to watch him, but those sent were deliberately obstructed. Looking at it now, it was clearly a trap from the start. From when Guo Dao left the capital to when he returned, even that secretly reported letter—Li Weiyang’s scheming runs truly deep!”
Hearing this, the Crown Prince’s anger didn’t diminish at all; his voice grew even colder: “Mother Empress praised you so highly, saying you were a first-rate strategist, yet here you are being played around by a mere woman!” In the Crown Prince’s eyes, Li Weiyang was merely a woman from the inner chambers, yet this very woman not only had cunning thoughts but had also repeatedly ruined several of his major undertakings—how could this not make his heart suffocate with frustration! Suppressing his anger, he said in a deep voice: “From when she first returned to the Guo family, she’s constantly caused trouble, always opposing the Pei family, and now she’s even made trouble for me—does she really think I’m a soft persimmon to squeeze!”
Originally, today was the Mid-Autumn Festival. According to custom, the Emperor would bestow considerable rewards upon the various princes and court ministers. But after such a commotion, every family fell silent as cicadas in winter. Even the Crown Prince lost face. Especially the look the Emperor gave him before leaving—every time he recalled it, he felt a cold chill, making his heart even more uneasy. In fact, since the Ministry of Revenue incident, though he hadn’t received the Emperor’s punishment, he could still feel the Emperor was always particularly cold toward him, which made him increasingly fearful.
With difficulty, this recent matter had finally settled down. The Crown Prince could finally free his hands to deal with the Guo family, but unexpectedly ended up being constrained by them instead. Zhao Zong deserved death, and Zhao Xianghe wasn’t particularly clever either, but they absolutely shouldn’t have died at this time! Now everyone suspected this matter was related to the Pei family. If the Pei family was implicated, how could the Crown Prince’s hands be clean? The Crown Prince had long begun assisting with government affairs, but the Emperor’s intentions were unfathomable. If the Guo family continued opposing him like this, his position as heir apparent might become unstable again.
Pei Bi had originally designed this scheme using Nalan Xue’s hand to take care of Guo Yan, and could also use the rebellion charge to completely eliminate the entire Guo family. At that time, Li Weiyang would naturally suffer along with them, but who knew that in an instant the entire situation would change.
Pei Bi knew best that Li Weiyang had means. Thinking in his heart that she must still have follow-up moves waiting, he couldn’t help becoming somewhat vigilant and reminded the Crown Prince: “Your Highness, this Li Weiyang’s thoughts are unfathomable. She’s most skilled at conspiracy and cunning schemes. In my view, for the next period, Your Highness should not act rashly.”
The Crown Prince’s nearly calmed anger was stirred up again by this statement, enraged to the extreme: “You’re just like Mother Empress, only advising me to endure! An Guo’s revenge hasn’t been avenged yet, and watching the Guo family mix so smoothly in court again—do you expect me to just watch helplessly? Eventually they’ll support Yuan Ying to ascend the throne, and then this Crown Prince will lose even his life. I wonder what will become of your Pei family then!”
Pei Bi glanced at the Crown Prince, his expression changing: “I misspoke. Please calm your anger, Crown Prince!” In truth, this Crown Prince had been deeply educated by Empress Pei for many years and could be said to possess both civil and martial talents, intelligent and steady—from every aspect, the perfect candidate to inherit the throne. Unfortunately, recently he’d been pushed by Li Weiyang to lose patience, and when things went smoothly, all his hidden flaws had emerged… Pei Bi remained silent for a while before slightly furrowing his brow: “Your Highness, no matter how we act, if we cannot shake His Majesty’s favor toward the Guo family, ultimately there’s nothing we can do to them.”
The Crown Prince started, his gaze instantly turning cold: “You’re saying His Majesty has been protecting the Guo family all along?”
Pei Bi nodded, his voice carrying indescribable gloom: “Judging from His Majesty’s actions at today’s banquet, this is indeed the case. He wants to keep the Guo family to use them to check and balance the Pei clan. Even if we pinned a rebellion charge on the Guo family, His Majesty wouldn’t easily believe it. Look how extremely favored the Guo family was this time—otherwise he wouldn’t have restored Guo Yan’s general position at the beginning of the month and bestowed many gifts on the Guo family. When Guo Yan quietly resigned his position and left, censors impeached him one after another. Duke Qi Guo entered the palace to apologize, yet the Emperor not only didn’t blame him but felt the Guo family had suffered great grievances and bestowed another round of rewards… However, Your Highness need not worry. The Guo family stands out so conspicuously that they invite disgust. We might as well lie low and watch others deal with them.”
Hearing this, the Crown Prince still felt somewhat puzzled, but seeing Pei Bi’s eyes flash with gloom while his face showed ruthlessness, a flash of lightning suddenly struck across the Crown Prince’s mind. He suddenly awakened, his depression swept away entirely. He couldn’t help slapping the table and laughing: “Right, right! Pei Bi, you truly are a clever person! Exactly—the greater the Guo family’s momentum, it’s like cooking oil over a roaring fire. Now they’ve already broken with the Chen family, and so high-profile in openly dealing with the Zhao family. Yet His Majesty still makes a show of protecting them—this has already forced the Guo family to provoke universal anger. All these aristocratic families aren’t just sitting idle. If they want to be pillars of the court, naturally someone will teach them a lesson!”
Seeing the Crown Prince laugh so smugly, Pei Bi clearly understood the Crown Prince intended to fish in troubled waters.
After a long while, the Crown Prince calmed down, his face showing a relaxed smile. After pondering for a moment, he said: “I understand your meaning. We shouldn’t go looking for trouble when the Guo family is in full favor. We should carefully calculate how to make interested parties take action against the Guo family, acting in our stead!”
Pei Bi bowed in acknowledgment, then withdrew from the Crown Prince’s study. Walking onto the steps and coming into contact with the deep cold night air, Pei Bi coughed heavily twice, forcibly suppressing the iron-like bloody taste in his chest. He laughed coldly: “Li Weiyang, who will die and who will live remains uncertain. Just wait and see.” Imperial favor—what was imperial favor? The most unreliable thing was this Emperor. Surface protection might very well be deliberately sending your Guo family to death. As he laughed coldly, he quickly descended the steps, his figure disappearing into the night.
Three days later, Imperial Consort Guo suddenly sent an invitation, asking Li Weiyang to enter the palace for tea. In truth, since returning to the palace, Imperial Consort Hui had not extended such invitations for quite some time. Moreover, this time she didn’t invite Madam Guo but specifically named Li Weiyang to enter the palace—there must be something important to discuss with her. After learning of this, Li Weiyang immediately reported to Madam Guo, who carefully prepared everything for her, arranging everything properly before sending attendants to accompany Li Weiyang into the palace.
At Imperial Consort Guo’s entrance, Li Weiyang encountered Prince Jing Yuan Ying coming face to face. They stood at opposite ends of the only path, unavoidable. Li Weiyang merely smiled slightly, standing in place watching Yuan Ying quickly walk toward her.
“Jia’er.” Yuan Ying’s voice was very gentle, just like the man himself, giving people a feeling of spring breeze on their faces—truly worthy of being the court’s famous smiling virtuous prince. But to Li Weiyang’s ears, beneath his triumphant expression lurked a trace of melancholy. In fact, though the Crown Prince’s power was currently great, he could do nothing about Prince Jing Yuan Ying. Although Duke Qi Guo refused to openly support him, the Guo family’s very existence was a form of backing for him. Moreover, he was skilled at maneuvering, good at winning people’s hearts, and had privately rallied a group of ministers with many loyal advisors. The current Prince Jing Yuan Ying should be ambitious and eager to compete with the Crown Prince. So where did this melancholy come from?
Li Weiyang remained impassive, turning sideways to perform a half-courtesy.
Yuan Ying looked at Li Weiyang, his eyes showing a trace of confusion. This woman should have been his fiancée. If not for Prince Xu Yuan Lie, Guo Jia would naturally have been his. The unwillingness in his heart gradually rose to his eyes, but unfortunately Yuan Lie existed. Because of this one person, not only did Guo Jia politely refuse, even others no longer helped him.
Recently, Yuan Ying had also discovered the Emperor always looked at Yuan Lie with very complex expressions—within that coldness was a trace of compassion he himself never dared hope for. His heart couldn’t help but hate Yuan Lie even more. It had always been this way—things that should have belonged to him, Yuan Lie insisted on snatching. Guo Jia was like this, Father Emperor was like this! One day, he would reclaim everything with interest.
Yuan Ying’s smile was like spring breeze, but a gleam appeared in his eyes—determined to obtain what he wanted. Though it flashed quickly, with Li Weiyang’s keen perception, she immediately noticed the unnaturalness in Yuan Ying’s expression. She couldn’t help shaking her head and sighing. Everyone in this world wanted both fame and fortune. Empire, beauties—wanting everything, yet not understanding that to gain, one must first give up. With giving up comes gaining. But everyone forgets this point. What she should say, she had already said. Regarding Prince Jing Yuan Ying’s actions, Li Weiyang had no way to control them. She had long known that everything in this world could be controlled except the human heart. Prince Jing’s plan was actually quite simple—planning to win position first, then come to marry her. Unfortunately, Li Weiyang would absolutely never enter the palace again in this lifetime. So her face showed only polite smiles, not caring at all about what Prince Jing thought or wanted.
Yuan Ying knew the person before him was currently Uncle and Aunt’s treasured darling, someone he very much needed—someone to win over rather than make vigilant toward himself. So he smiled: “Did Mother Consort summon you to the palace today?”
Li Weiyang smiled slightly: “Yes, Imperial Consort Hui said she summoned me for casual conversation.” Hearing this, Yuan Ying’s eyes flashed with sharpness again. Without saying more, he only nodded and moved aside to pass.
The instant they brushed past each other, both wore appropriate smiles, their manner distant, yet they walked in different directions—like two lines that never intersected, only briefly crossing before heading in two different directions, never to intersect again.
“Your Highness, Miss Guo requests an audience.” A palace maid gently reported.
Hearing this, Imperial Consort Guo immediately put down the teacup in her hand and ordered: “Quickly let her enter.”
Li Weiyang entered the great hall. Imperial Consort Guo was already waiting. Her expression showed three parts more haggardness than some days ago, clearly her days in the palace weren’t going smoothly. Li Weiyang thought of Consort Ge Li’s dazzling radiance and aggressive manner at the Mid-Autumn Festival and couldn’t help gaining some understanding of Imperial Consort Guo’s situation. Now in the palace, Noble Consort Chen had gradually drifted apart from Imperial Consort Guo. People in the palace were accustomed to reading the situation and acting accordingly. Knowing the Guo and Chen families were at odds in the outer court naturally affected the inner palace as well, bringing up many old matters and causing much trouble at Imperial Consort Guo’s door.
Though Imperial Consort Guo wanted to resolve the enmity between the Guo and Chen families, unfortunately Guo Yan had already left the capital, and that Chen Bingbing also stayed behind closed doors all day. Hearing that Madam Chen had cried and made scenes with the Noble Consort several times over this matter, Imperial Consort Guo summoning Li Weiyang this time somewhat intended to discuss this matter. She looked at Li Weiyang and said softly: “Jia’er, Aunt knows you’ve always been a girl with your own ideas, so this time I want to ask your opinion—should we send people to find Yan’er and bring him back?”
Li Weiyang looked at Imperial Consort Guo and couldn’t help shaking her head. Imperial Consort Guo saw her indifferent expression and felt somewhat strange. In truth, Imperial Consort Guo’s meaning wasn’t difficult to understand. Having long resided in the palace, she naturally knew about the power struggles in court. The Guo and Chen families had deep roots and frequent dealings. Over these years, they had accumulated some unspeakable leverage over each other. If the Chen family didn’t move, naturally the Guo family wouldn’t move either. But better to resolve enmity than create it. Imperial Consort Guo always felt Guo Yan and Chen Bingbing were a perfect match—why had things come to this point? Regarding Nalan Xue’s matter, Madam Guo had sent a letter carefully explaining to Imperial Consort Guo. But Imperial Consort Guo had never met Nalan Xue and didn’t have such personal experience. She only felt brother and sister-in-law had handled this matter very confusedly. No matter how much they cherished their son or felt guilty toward Nalan Xue, they should still consider the vital interests between the two families. How could they make such a citywide commotion?
Now that Guo Yan had resigned his position and disappeared without trace, the best method was to find him first, then find ways to bring him and Chen Bingbing back together. Only this way could the Guo and Chen families possibly reunite and not give the Pei family an opportunity to exploit. Most importantly, letting a Guo family descendant wander outside, Imperial Consort Guo felt very inappropriate. Even if Guo Yan refused to be with Chen Bingbing again, he still shouldn’t just disappear without trace like this.
Li Weiyang naturally understood Imperial Consort Guo’s meaning, but she didn’t agree: “Grandmother originally also wanted to send people to search for Second Brother, but there’s been no news. Mother and Father’s intention is to just let him go.”
Imperial Consort Guo couldn’t help her expression changing: “What do you mean by this? Are we to let a Guo family son wander outside?”
Li Weiyang’s heart wasn’t unmoved either, but everyone must take responsibility for their own choices. Since Guo Yan had already left without returning, what use would forcibly bringing him back serve? So she only said with a gentle tone: “Second Brother’s aspirations don’t lie here. Even if we forcibly keep him in the capital, he could never reunite with Chen Bingbing in their old dream.”
Hearing this, Imperial Consort Guo’s lips opened several times to speak but ultimately said: “How can you children be so disobedient? Have you all gone mad! The family has raised you for so many years, yet at critical moments each of you throws down your burden. If everyone were like you, could the Guo family still hold on!”
That Imperial Consort Guo would say such words didn’t surprise Li Weiyang at all, because years ago she too had left her beloved for the family’s interests. She could sacrifice unhesitatingly for the family, so naturally she felt Guo Yan as a man should do the same. Ultimately, a person’s values and way of handling matters determined their own fate. Guo Yan had missed once—he didn’t want to miss a second time, which was why he left carrying Nalan Xue’s ashes, fulfilling his past vow to Nalan Xue. But this point Imperial Consort Guo couldn’t understand. Even if she understood, she would still hope Guo Yan could consider the big picture, forget Nalan Xue, return to Chen Bingbing’s side, and be a qualified Guo family descendant continuing to shoulder his responsibilities. In Imperial Consort Guo’s eyes, pain was temporary, but responsibility was lifelong. From the moment each person was born, everything could be abandoned, but responsibility could never be shirked under any circumstances—this was the way of being human.
Li Weiyang raised her head, looking directly at Imperial Consort Guo: “Your Highness, Father and Mother have already made up their minds—they absolutely won’t search for Second Brother to bring him back. This matter ends here. There’s no need to mention the marriage between the Guo and Chen families again.”
Imperial Consort Guo was so angry her face turned pale. Looking at Li Weiyang, she could barely speak a single word. She didn’t know when it started, but she discovered her principles had diverged from the other Guo family members. The Guo and Chen families’ many years of friendship and alliance had been destroyed just like that because of a country woman—she could never forgive that Nalan Xue, and even less could she understand Guo Yan’s confusion and shortsightedness! In her view, family honor far exceeded personal happiness. Otherwise, wouldn’t her sacrifice years ago become a complete joke? So she said coldly: “You just saw your cousin Yuan Ying, didn’t you?”
Li Weiyang nodded: “Yes, I just saw Prince Jing leaving the courtyard.”
Imperial Consort Guo’s gaze stabbed into her eyes like flying blades as she said word by word: “Good, I’ve just asked him to search everywhere for your Second Brother—he must bring him back and force him to apologize to the Chen family!”
Li Weiyang said nothing more. If she had to choose between love and family, Imperial Consort Guo would definitely choose the latter. But her forcing everyone to make the same choice as her was unnecessary. Everyone had their own path to walk. Guo Yan leaving the family and abandoning his identity was also his choice. Begging him to return? Utterly ridiculous.
Seeing Li Weiyang lower her head without speaking, Imperial Consort Guo was about to say more when a small palace maid respectfully entered to report: “Your Highness, the Chen family’s madam has entered the palace.”
Imperial Consort Guo was startled, then said: “Her? At this hour, what is she entering the palace for?”
The small palace maid hesitantly glanced at Li Weiyang. Imperial Consort Guo waved her hand: “Speak honestly.”
The palace maid immediately said: “Yes, I heard that Chen family’s young miss couldn’t accept it and cut off her hair to cultivate in a nunnery.”
The teacup in Imperial Consort Guo’s hand fell to the ground with a clang. She said incredulously: “Is this true?”
The small palace maid’s face showed a fearful expression: “It was Madam Chen crying while mentioning it to Noble Consort Chen. Because someone in the Noble Consort’s palace is friendly with this servant, the news quietly spread over. This servant also doesn’t know how serious the matter will become, only heard she’s already taken vows—”
Then there was no way to salvage it. Imperial Consort Guo’s face immediately turned pale. She pressed her forehead with a headache and sighed: “Jia’er, did you hear? Look what kind of trouble this has caused!”
Li Weiyang’s expression remained calm. Though she felt regret for Chen Bingbing, she likewise wouldn’t stop the other party’s choice. Her tone was flat: “Since Second Sister-in-law has already become a nun, it proves this matter has no room for salvaging. Imperial Consort Hui shouldn’t be so sad and distressed. This is each person’s fate—it cannot be forced.”
Imperial Consort Guo looked at Li Weiyang, wanting to speak but stopping, her eyes showing an expression of disappointment as if iron couldn’t become steel. Clearly she was both pained and disappointed by the Guo family’s actions. She had sacrificed so much for the family back then, hadn’t she also given up her beloved? Why couldn’t Guo Yan do the same? Since he’d already abandoned Nalan Xue, he should have followed through completely without looking back. Being so wishy-washy halfway—wasn’t he a fool!
However, Li Weiyang deeply knew Chen Bingbing was equally deeply hurt. She did this not to make the Guo family feel guilty but to cut the Gordian knot, completely severing ties with Guo Yan. For Chen Bingbing, this might not be bad. If one day in the future she thought things through, she’d be even freer. Moreover, given Madam Chen’s personality, she would never truly let her daughter stay in a nunnery. In a few years when things settled down, she would certainly find her another husband. This was far better than returning to the Guo family only to be hurt by painful memories. Li Weiyang’s tone was firm: “Your Highness, I advise you not to search for Second Brother. Even if you find him and forcibly bind him together with Second Sister-in-law, the two of them still couldn’t be together. A resentful couple would only make relations between the Guo and Chen families even more strained—better than now—”
Imperial Consort Guo said coldly: “The way things are now, do you know the Chen family is also attacking the Guo family in the outer court?”
Li Weiyang said slowly: “The Guo family has some leverage in the Chen family’s hands, and the Chen family is no different. Their small skirmishes in the outer court aim only to force Second Brother to return and apologize to Second Sister-in-law for reconciliation. If they truly wanted major action, they wouldn’t have the courage.”
Seeing Li Weiyang’s calm expression, completely unmoved, Imperial Consort Guo ultimately sighed: “Forget it, you young people—I can’t control you either. Whatever the Guo family will be tormented into by you all, I’ll leave it to you. After you return, help me persuade your sister-in-law to set her mind at ease.” Speaking thus, she said to the palace maid: “I’m tired. See Miss Guo out.”
The palace maid tremblingly led Li Weiyang out, but saw not half a trace of panic or unease on Li Weiyang’s face, becoming even more puzzled. She truly couldn’t understand—Imperial Consort Hui’s expression had clearly been very angry just now, so why didn’t this Miss Guo take it to heart at all? Could she truly not be worried?
Li Weiyang had just exited Imperial Consort Guo’s courtyard when she suddenly saw a eunuch quickly walking toward her, bowing respectfully: “Miss Guo, His Majesty sent someone to summon you, saying he requests an audience.”
Li Weiyang slightly furrowed her brow: “His Majesty wants to see me?”
The eunuch smiled: “Yes, please come with this servant, Miss Guo.”
Li Weiyang thought for a moment, her gaze shifting: “I came to visit Imperial Consort Hui. If His Majesty suddenly summons me, I should still inform Her Highness.”
The eunuch said: “Miss Guo can rest assured—this servant will naturally go report to Imperial Consort Hui.”
Li Weiyang looked at the eunuch’s very composed expression. Though a trace of barely perceptible premonition flashed through her heart—the Emperor summoning her for no reason, there must be something amiss—no one in the palace would dare falsely transmit an imperial edict. She turned to instruct the palace maid: “Since His Majesty has summoned me, I must go. You go back and report to Her Highness.” Speaking thus, she lightly blinked at the palace maid, then suddenly called out: “Oh, where did my earring go?”
The small palace maid was startled and quickly bent down to help her search everywhere. Li Weiyang also bent down, whispering in the palace maid’s ear: “Go tell Her Highness—if I don’t emerge within half an hour, immediately go request Prince Xu!”
The small palace maid wasn’t stupid either—ordinarily a trusted confidant by Imperial Consort Guo’s side—and nodded repeatedly: “Found it, found it! Miss Guo’s earring is here!”
Li Weiyang smiled slightly, taking the glass earring from her hand. Thinking to herself that the Emperor was an extremely tyrannical person—even Yuan Lie couldn’t grasp his temperament—summoning her for no reason couldn’t be anything good. Though she herself wasn’t afraid of death, her heart’s wishes weren’t yet fulfilled—she absolutely couldn’t have any accidents. Thinking this far, her face showed a smile. When the Emperor summoned, how could she refuse? However, she could still delay time.
Li Weiyang followed the eunuch all the way into the imperial study. The study was furnished with a complete set of redwood pieces—luxurious and elegant. The antique shelves specially displayed the Four Treasures of the Study—famous inkstones, famous brushes, old ink, Xuan paper—everything available. The Emperor stood before the desk, wearing a bright yellow dragon robe, his waist bound with a belt entirely set with three-colored jade clasps, his head wearing a crown woven from countless silk threads with pearls, currently lowering his head carefully examining something.
The eunuch led Li Weiyang inside. The Emperor raised his eyes to glance at her, his expression darkly uncertain as he praised: “Miss Guo has written excellent calligraphy—rigorous yet not lacking roundness, strong bones emerging from within yet extending beyond, dignified and quietly beautiful, essence contained within. Truly a rare masterpiece.”
After Li Weiyang in her previous life was criticized as illiterate, she had always held a grudge. In this life, she had diligently practiced calligraphy. Now many years had passed. Though she wasn’t any remarkable calligraphy master, her script had formed its own style and shown great improvement. But honestly speaking, compared to those capital talented ladies who’d been proficient in calligraphy since childhood, she was still far behind. She hadn’t expected to receive such praise from the Emperor at this moment, but this also meant her daily practice had somehow been delivered under the Emperor’s nose. She only lowered her head: “Thank you for Your Majesty’s praise. This humble subject doesn’t dare accept it.”
But the Emperor laughed coldly, his expression somewhere between smiling and not: “Do you know why I summoned you today?”
Li Weiyang saw the Emperor’s stern expression with a trace of imperceptible cold light flashing in his eyes. Some understanding arose in her heart, but her face showed complete composure as she respectfully said: “Heavenly authority is unfathomable. This humble subject dares not presume to guess Your Majesty’s thoughts. Please enlighten me, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor smiled faintly: “I originally thought you were a refined and wise daughter of a prestigious family, which is why I allowed you at his side. Who knew you were a woman with gilded exterior but rotten interior—young in years but not small in audacity, actually daring to flatter Prince Xu, instigating him to act within the palace, causing universal shock and court-wide resentment. Simply heinous! Do you plead guilty?”
A flash of astonishment crossed Li Weiyang’s eyes, but she immediately steadied herself and only raised her gaze.
The Emperor seemed surprised by her composure, also staring at her. Clearly a woman, and a cunning schemer at that, yet in the past under his gaze, even court ministers would tremble, but she showed an indifferent expression, dignified bearing, completely unlike a girl of this age. If not for Li Weiyang getting mixed up with Prince Xu Yuan Lie, the Emperor didn’t particularly want to do anything to her. Because no matter how clever Li Weiyang was, in his eyes she was merely a minor player—no need to expend such effort. Seeing her not answer, the Emperor’s voice immediately grew colder: “You don’t speak—are you treating me with contempt? I’ll ask you once more, Guo Jia, do you know your crime!”
Li Weiyang only stood fixed, looking at the edge of the desk before him, bowing: “Please forgive me, Your Majesty, but this humble subject has never instigated Prince Xu, much less disturbed court politics. Where does this talk of universal court resentment come from?”
The Emperor laughed coldly, his expression cold as frost: “Fine, I might as well make it clear to you. From when you arrived in the capital, everything you’ve done—must I recount it one by one? As a woman, not knowing to observe proper conduct, you actually instigated fighting between the Guo and Pei families, then tried to seduce Prince Xu Yuan Lie, instigating him to do things without propriety. This wasn’t enough—because of your personal grudges, you even incited Yuan Lie to act against Zhao Xianghe within the palace! What place is this, that a fox-like seductive woman like you can run wild! If you have even half a shred of decency, you should end yourself—or must I do it myself?”
The Emperor’s expression was extremely frightening. Just looking at him, that coldness seemed to invade one’s heart inch by inch, leaving nowhere to hide. If it were someone else who’d seen those terrifying methods of punishing people, they’d definitely be scared weak in the knees. But Li Weiyang only said composedly: “This humble subject is merely a small woman—understanding neither poetry nor books, possessing no special advantages. The Guo family are my relatives. I can repay them in no other way except doing my utmost to keep my family safe. If this also counts as treachery, I have nothing to say. As for Yuan Lie, I do know him. Many years ago, he was the third son of the Li family. Our friendship already existed long ago. What talk of seduction? Or does Your Majesty feel that even childhood acquaintance and deep friendship are inappropriate—that all childhood sweethearts under heaven should be killed by Your Majesty?”
This reminded him she’d once saved Yuan Lie’s life. The Emperor’s expression paused, his voice revealing neither joy nor anger, yet inexplicably making one feel chilled: “Don’t play tricks before me. Aren’t you afraid I’ll kill you immediately!”
Li Weiyang smiled slightly: “Under heaven, is there any land that is not the king’s? Along the shores of the land, are there any who are not the king’s subjects? Since Your Majesty wants to silence me by death, this humble subject has no recourse. I only ask that before Your Majesty acts, please first consider Yuan Lie—if he learns I died by your hand, how will he view Your Majesty?” Killing someone requires only a nod of the head, yet this Emperor particularly enjoyed appreciating others’ fearful expressions before death. Li Weiyang had long since grasped this psychology of his. If she begged for mercy now, he’d probably kill her immediately. But showing no fear, he’d instead have some scruples.
Hearing this, the Emperor’s expression grew cold, murderous aura erupting from his entire body. Looking at her, his gaze was instantly like an eagle viewing a rabbit—cold and severe. Ultimately he laughed coldly: “Originally I didn’t want to bother with you, but you’ve obstructed important matters. Even if it dirties my hands, I must dispose of such filth for him!” Speaking thus, he suddenly called out sternly: “Someone! Use the rod punishment!”
Two guards immediately entered upon hearing, holding red lacquered punishment rods in their hands. Li Weiyang understood very well—the Emperor always acted ruthlessly. This punishment rod was definitely not comparable to ordinary clubs. One strike might cost her life. She knew the other party would show no mercy, yet called out loudly: “Though this humble subject cannot fully know Your Majesty’s thoughts, I can guess somewhat. Does Your Majesty not want to hear the full story before acting?”
These words, neither fast nor slow in tempo, light and gentle in voice, yet made the Emperor’s expression change drastically. He then spoke: “Not only skilled at deception but audaciously bold! Actually presuming to say you’ve guessed my thoughts. Fine, let’s hear it!”
Li Weiyang saw his expression shifting unpredictably, his eyes even more treacherous and strange, knowing he must have killing intent plus another meaning. Fixing her gaze on him, she said neither coldly nor warmly: “Your Majesty’s thoughts aren’t hard to guess—you want to replace the Crown Prince?”
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the imperial study’s expressions changed. The two guards knelt on the ground, trembling, not saying a word. The Emperor laughed coldly and waved his hand. The two guards bowed and withdrew. Before the Emperor could scold her, her voice dropped and she smiled slightly: “What, is Your Majesty willing to listen to this humble subject explain in detail?”
The Emperor’s breathing hitched slightly. After a long while, he reopened his mouth, his voice emotionless: “I’d also very much like to know what kind of person this woman Yuan Lie is devoted to is. You might as well explain in detail. If what you say makes sense, I might spare your life!”
Li Weiyang only smiled, her expression showing no change. Her tone was light: “Your Majesty has never favored the Crown Prince inheriting the position, yet these years you’ve constantly sent various people to circle around Yuan Lie. Isn’t it because you want to push him onto the heir apparent position to inherit the throne?” Ten fingers have different lengths—ordinary parents treating different children still show favoritism. In the imperial family, this bit of partiality would create earth-shattering changes, just like the Da Li Emperor protecting the Eighth Prince, forcing his other sons to fight to the death, finally elevating the Eighth Prince to the Crown Prince position. No matter how twisted and crazed the Yuexi Emperor was, that favoritism toward Yuan Lie—Li Weiyang saw it so clearly. But before today, she only had vague premonitions, unable to speculate so precisely. But today, hearing the Emperor say she’d ruined important matters, she couldn’t help thinking of this key point.
The Emperor’s expression immediately changed. He’d never mentioned this thought to anyone. Even Empress Pei had lowered her guard after seeing him grant Yuan Lie the title of Prince Xu.
What a Li Weiyang! Cunning to the extreme!
Appearing so ordinary on the surface, yet harboring so many twists and turns behind—even those who’d served as officials for years probably couldn’t calculate as shrewdly as her. The Emperor couldn’t help snorting coldly: “You girl truly dare say anything!”
Li Weiyang smiled. She had long noticed some very strange figures around Yuan Lie. Those teaching Yuan Lie included deliberately obscured imperial art of rulership as well as some methods of controlling subordinates. But these people acted not overtly, only subtly. Even Yuan Lie suspected in his heart but hadn’t exposed it. Perhaps Yuan Lie understood very clearly in his heart what the Emperor’s true intentions were, but having no desire for the imperial throne, he always pretended not to know.
Now the Emperor wanted to act against Li Weiyang—clearly feeling she obstructed Yuan Lie’s path to the throne.
Li Weiyang’s voice was gentle: “Your Majesty should know Prince Xu has no intention of inheriting the throne, nor does he want to compete with the Crown Prince or become involved in court struggles.”
The Emperor’s brow sank slightly, his eyes cold as ice, his tightly pressed lips sharp as a blade: “It’s up to him! That stupid thing!” Speaking thus, the Emperor suddenly furrowed his brow, clearly experiencing some headache.
Li Weiyang saw his expression growing increasingly unpredictable, as if his emotions were beginning to lose control. Subconsciously sensing something wrong, her heart grew wary, but her face only showed a smile: “People say sons most resemble their fathers. I see Yuan Lie and Your Majesty’s temperaments are somewhat similar—preferring to shatter as jade rather than survive as tile. Pushed to extremes, he could probably do anything. But Your Majesty cannot persuade him—I, however, can! Therefore, not only should you not kill me, you should actually win me over, making me Yuan Lie’s support rather than obstacle!”
Smooth-talking girl, thinking he’d fall for such tricks? The Emperor stared at Li Weiyang, his expression somewhere between smiling and not: “Eliminating one little Zhao Xianghe and you’ve flown to the heavens, not knowing how many pounds your bones weigh! As a woman, instead of thinking about supporting husband and teaching children, you want to play with power! You really dare flatter yourself—do you truly think you’re some important figure!” He snorted coldly, not knowing who he was thinking of, his expression becoming even gloomier. In truth, he clearly saw through Li Weiyang’s face to that person he deeply detested, always feeling if he kept this woman, she might one day become a second Empress Pei! Moreover, the Guo family’s power was enormous, roots deep and leaves thick. If they became Yuan Lie’s maternal family, one day they’d become a second Pei family! Human hearts couldn’t withstand temptation—having one, they’d want a hundred; having a thatched hut, they’d want a palace! By then, with Yuan Lie deeply loving Li Weiyang, how would he handle himself? He’d probably willingly hand over the throne!
Moreover, his cherished intention of forcing Yuan Lie step by step to follow his pace—though Yuan Lie didn’t appreciate it—being seen through by a little girl still made him feel very displeased. So at this moment, staring at Li Weiyang, his expression was icy: “Knowing too much isn’t good. Being overly clever makes you even more foolish! Why should I keep you!”
Li Weiyang’s expression remained calm. Though not knowing why the Emperor’s eyes showed even more violence, she knew the Emperor’s killing intent hadn’t retreated. She tried her best to steady her tone: “As I said just now, I can help Prince Xu. Your Majesty’s greatest headache recently is the grasslands ownership problem—since Yuexi’s founding, the grasslands have always been our dynasty’s tributary territory. For over a hundred years they’ve sent annual tribute to the court, peacefully coexisting with Yuexi. Although Your Majesty last time promoted the Fifth Prince to the Great Khan position, Your Majesty must be very clear in your heart—the Fifth Prince is weak by nature and cannot sit firmly in the Great Khan position. I hear the grasslands’ Seventh Prince has already gathered large numbers of troops, not only starting several territorial disputes but forcibly carving away much fertile land. Though the new Great Khan is dissatisfied, he can do nothing about this arrogant and domineering Seventh Prince, so he specially submitted a memorial to Your Majesty requesting military aid. Is this matter true?”
The Emperor looked at Li Weiyang. Suddenly hearing a “crack” sound, the teacup on the desk had already fallen to the ground, porcelain shards bursting apart, scalding hot tea splashing in a circle around. His anger erupted: “Seems your information is truly well-informed—Yuan Lie hides nothing from you!”
Li Weiyang had been concerned with political situations for more than just a day or two. To deal with Empress Pei and the Pei family, she naturally needed to know everyone’s situation. The grasslands’ movements—she’d long since learned from Princess Ali. Knowing full well the Emperor absolutely disliked her interfering in politics, yet now this was the best method to delay time. She smiled slightly: “Your Majesty worries not about the Seventh Prince but about the Great Zhou forces behind him. Am I correct?”
The Emperor’s gaze grew even colder: “Continue!”
If gazes could kill, she’d already been executed by lingchi a thousand times over. Li Weiyang’s eyes remained peaceful, her voice quiet: “If Your Majesty sends troops, you’ll undoubtedly face Great Zhou head-on—not a good thing for the current Yuexi. If the Pei family takes the opportunity to create difficulties, it would stir up even more trouble! Therefore Your Majesty has certainly already decided on peace negotiations. What troubles you now are the negotiation conditions. If Your Majesty doesn’t reject me, this humble subject is willing to offer Your Majesty a suggestion.” She paused briefly, seeing the Emperor though greatly angered was still listening, then her tone eased slightly: “Your Majesty, you might as well divide the grasslands in two in the agreement, with our two nations each taking half!”
The Emperor’s eyes grew even colder, yet he only laughed coldly: “I thought you were clever, yet didn’t expect such stupidity. If I wanted to divide the grasslands in two, I would have done so long ago. Why wait until now!”
Kneeling for a long time, with just one movement, she felt her bones trembling. But Li Weiyang only said quietly: “This humble subject heard from Princess Ali that on the grasslands there’s a Fengsha River—the grasslands’ most important water source. North of Fengsha River the land is rich and fertile, the grasslands abundant. But south of Fengsha River the grasslands are barren, bandits rampant. As long as Your Majesty takes the lands north of Fengsha River, you certainly won’t suffer a loss. As for south of Fengsha River, the so-called bandits are actually just some herdsmen who cannot survive. Lacking clothes and food, naturally they’re endlessly entangled. Unfortunately these people lack sufficient strength. If Your Majesty could secretly support them, providing arms and grain, presumably they’d be very happy to contend with Great Zhou. At that time, with these grassland warriors skilled in mounted archery leading the charge, Great Zhou simply wouldn’t have energy for anything else, constantly entangled in how to pacify and suppress them. Your Majesty can observe from the sidelines—isn’t this excellent?”
The Emperor laughed coldly: “Your idea isn’t bad, but Great Zhou people aren’t fools—they won’t easily agree.”
Li Weiyang shook her head, smiling faintly: “Great Zhou will certainly agree, because within their borders rivers are scarce. I hear for many years they’ve coveted the grasslands, intending to divert water from Fengsha River to resolve Great Zhou’s northern agricultural and forestry irrigation difficulties. Moreover, this year Great Zhou experienced severe drought. Grain production greatly decreased. Many places saw hoarding and speculation. Disaster victims began to stir uneasily. Their stirring up strife on the grasslands now—the most important purpose firstly is to divert domestic contradictions in Great Zhou, secondly to fight for Fengsha River. This time, if Your Majesty proposes in the agreement that north of Fengsha River belongs to our dynasty, while south of Fengsha River is ceded to Great Zhou, resolving their many years of water shortage worries, they’ll naturally agree.”
Scheming against human hearts with conspiracy and trickery were merely lowest-level strategies, unable to reach the great stage. So killing Li Weiyang wasn’t regrettable—after all, he’d long since prepared for Yuan Lie a wife who truly matched him. Once Li Weiyang died, the Emperor would skillfully shift all contradictions, even regretfully telling Yuan Lie everything was merely Empress Pei falsely transmitting imperial edicts. After half a year, he’d have that person appear. That woman not only had beauty far surpassing Li Weiyang—more importantly, her wisdom and abilities were sufficient to openly and properly assist Yuan Lie in ascending the throne, becoming an Empress who embodied the nation. By then, a Li Weiyang who only understood scheming against hearts, framing and implicating—what would she amount to? Merely an ant.
But Li Weiyang could still think of this level at a critical moment. Though not equal to that ideal person’s abilities, she wasn’t merely someone skilled in underhanded tricks and foolishness either. The ideas she proposed also fit the Emperor’s original thoughts—the Emperor looked at Li Weiyang, his expression slowly showing more surprise. He sat in his chair, merely falling into contemplation. Li Weiyang wasn’t anxious either, only quietly waiting for the Emperor to continue questioning.
As expected, seeing Li Weiyang’s eyes filled with calm confidence, her lips still holding a smile, the Emperor knew she must still have follow-up moves waiting. He couldn’t help staring at her: “Seems you’re ceding this river to Great Zhou not for their benefit but with other intentions!”
Li Weiyang saw the Emperor looking at her and couldn’t help smiling slightly: “Your Majesty, greatly developing water conservancy, troubling the people and draining wealth—this cannot be accomplished in one moment or year. It will probably exhaust Great Zhou for several years, requiring the entire nation’s strength.”
Hearing this, the Emperor’s heart jumped. He suddenly stared fixedly at Li Weiyang and suddenly burst into loud laughter: “Good, good! Truly a clever woman.”
Unfortunately, merely this small cleverness, not great wisdom—ultimately must die!