“Item thirty-seven! Six precious masks from King Yi’s royal palace collection!”

The entire venue erupted in excitement.

Jing Hengbo was dumbfounded. She had originally thought no one would be particularly interested, never expecting such an intense reaction. She asked Pei Shu in bewilderment, “What’s happening?”

“You’ve become more and more foolish staying with Gong Yin!” Pei Shu never forgot to take a jab at his romantic rival, then said with exasperation, “Yi Kingdom masks are already valuable, but masks from the royal palace’s private collection are absolutely priceless. King Yi understands the principle of rarity creating value – he never allows precious masks to leave the country. Previously, royal-grade masks were never publicly offered. Whenever one occasionally appeared, it would inevitably cause a major stir. What are you doing putting out so many at once? Are you trying to drive all six kingdoms and eight tribes mad? You spendthrift!”

Jing Hengbo rolled her eyes at the scolding – having lived in Yi Kingdom for a while, mixing truth and deception, she had seen too many exquisite masks and even occupied the royal palace itself. She truly hadn’t thought these masks were anything extraordinary. Seeing everyone’s expressions now, she immediately regretted setting the starting price too low and hurriedly tugged at Pei Shu’s sleeve, “Shu Shu Shu Shu, think of a way to help me raise the price!”

“We’re together – if I help you raise prices, it wouldn’t be proper and wouldn’t work either. You’d be despised by all six kingdoms and eight tribes, and you won’t be able to get what you want later!” Pei Shu tapped her, “Stop being with Gong Yin – look how stupid you’ve become!”

“Yes, yes, I gave him all my intelligence.” Jing Hengbo said resentfully, feeling very annoyed.

The ceremonial official above was announcing prices. Because the price wasn’t set high, the entire venue became even more excited and immediately entered the climax of competitive bidding.

Jing Hengbo deeply regretted setting the price too low, but fortunately the jokers were helpful. These troublemakers who thrived on chaos jumped and shouted in the crowd, pushing the prices to one wave of climax after another. Moreover, this group had sharp eyes and worked in perfect coordination, able to tell who truly needed the items and who was just making up numbers. From the beginning, they raised the starting price – Jing Hengbo had quoted a thousand taels per mask, but they directly bid ten thousand, then focused on the most aggressive bidder, ruthlessly raising prices after each of his bids, forcing the mask prices higher and higher. The first mask sold for thirty thousand.

Jing Hengbo watched in amazement, then understood why the masks were so sought after – most attendees weren’t kings of various countries and tribes, but powerful figures. Those invited by Shang Kingdom were presumably powerful figures not far from royal positions. Anyone of this type had great ambition. A mask that others couldn’t see through could play an enormous role at critical moments – an essential treasure for killing, usurping, seizing power, and escaping.

She suddenly wondered if her arrival had brought even more unstable factors to the already unsettled Dahuang…

She understood this principle, and others understood it even better. A fat man left behind by Yu Kingdom seemed particularly interested in these masks, rolling up his sleeves and competing fiercely. The venue was filled with his shouting, “Eighteen thousand!”

Yi Qi immediately called out: “Nineteen thousand!”

“Twenty thousand!”

“Twenty-five thousand!” Yi Qi immediately followed.

The jokers laughingly continued driving up prices. Fewer people kept bidding, and the Yu Kingdom fat man was sweating profusely, his face changing from red to white to purple.

Yu Kingdom had come to this gathering for certain reasons, originally for the masks. When they heard King Yi wasn’t coming, they had already lost hope. Who knew there would actually be mask auctions at the end, and royal collection editions at that – this was beyond their wildest dreams, and they were determined to win.

Having no choice, the fat man finally closed his eyes, gritted his teeth and shouted: “Fifty thousand!”

The entire venue immediately fell silent.

It seemed Yu Kingdom desperately needed masks for some important purpose and was determined to win.

Jing Hengbo had been smilingly watching with her sleeves folded. Seeing the fat man finally win, overjoyed and walking on stage to prepare the exchange of gold notes with the ceremonial official, Jing Hengbo suddenly made a gesture to the official.

The official immediately withdrew the box he was handing over and smiled at the Yu Kingdom representative, “The original owner has appeared. Please complete the transaction with the original owner.”

The fat man slowly turned around.

Then he saw Jing Hengbo’s flower-like smile.

The Yu Kingdom fat man froze on stage, plummeting from the peak of joy into the hell of disappointment.

At that moment, his expression was something the royal attendees felt they could never forget for the rest of their lives, and they decided they must never casually offend female creatures in the future.

Meeting the fat man’s almost pleading gaze, Jing Hengbo drew out her words, “These masks…”

The fat man blinked at her expectantly.

She said pleasantly: “…are not for sale!”

The Yu Kingdom fat man didn’t give up and continued struggling, “Please state your conditions, Your Majesty!”

“No conditions needed – I simply won’t sell.” Jing Hengbo smiled sweetly, infuriatingly, “Or if your prince immediately loses weight from a thousand pounds to a hundred pounds, I’ll consider it.”

Instant weight loss of several hundred pounds… might as well slice off all that fat, hehehe.

Retribution came quickly. The Yu Kingdom people had to slink away dejectedly. Jing Hengbo didn’t care at all. Some people’s hostility was obvious – there was no point trying to appease and win them over. They wouldn’t think you were tolerant and generous, only more weak and easy to bully.

The mask finally sold for forty thousand gold notes. She lost ten thousand but infuriated the fat man – worth it!

The third and fourth princesses of Ji Kingdom had originally been eager to try, but seeing her attitude, they gave up immediately. Jing Hengbo watched from afar as they secretly resentfully twisted their handkerchiefs, smugly raising her middle finger.

Just then Ji Min returned. Jing Hengbo noticed her expression showed no signs of tension, knowing that Yélu Qi’s side should be fine.

Ji Min had no concerns and directly participated in bidding for masks. Jing Hengbo gave a hint to the Seven Killers, and those seven jokers showed mercy and let her off easy, allowing her to win the bidding.

Ji Min calmly collected her mask under her two sisters’ jealous, fire-breathing gazes. When paying Jing Hengbo, she slightly nodded her thanks and asked quietly: “Thank you, Your Majesty. May I ask what Your Majesty requires?”

She naturally knew Jing Hengbo could have refused to sell to her or forced her to pay a high price. Doing this meant she had requirements.

“If you ascend to the throne in the future,” Jing Hengbo narrowed her eyes, “sell a batch of those fierce camel sheep to Daimo at fair prices.”

Ji Min’s eyes flashed with surprise: “You’re not the Emerald Queen – you’re the Blackwater Queen!”

Jing Hengbo curved her lips in a smile.

“I can sell you the camel sheep, but you must promise never to march armies into my kingdom’s territory.” Ji Min was very cautious.

“As long as you don’t attack first.” Jing Hengbo agreed readily.

Then the two women walked away with light indifference.

No one expected that with just this brief encounter and few words, a major national transaction that could influence Dahuang’s political situation had already been completed.

Jing Hengbo was in a good mood – Ji Min was still quite reasonable, and the favor was worth selling to her.

Of course, once this mask was sold, the conflict between Ji Min and her two sisters reached its peak. Ji Kingdom would inevitably have disputes afterward.

She was happy to see this happen.

Once her masks were sold, the auction was nearing its end, but no one left – everyone was waiting for the final climax.

The finale was always hosted by the host country. Shang Kingdom’s Crown Prince personally presided over the final auction. When he took the brocade box carefully presented by the ceremonial official, his face showed proud, self-satisfied smiles.

“This year I repeatedly petitioned the Great King and brought out two treasured items from the national treasury to entertain all distinguished guests.” He said, “Both are rare treasures of our Shang Kingdom, still going to the highest bidder. But since our Shang Kingdom is offering two items hoping to befriend more allies, please honored guests, choose only one to bid on. Don’t be greedy.” He smiled and added humorously, “Be careful – too much greed might get you beaten up leaving here.”

Everyone laughed along perfunctorily, their eyes showing impatience, just waiting for him to quickly present the treasures. Jing Hengbo sat up straight with great interest, deciding that no matter what good things they were, she must grab one.

“First, horse liver stone.” Crown Prince Shang took out a palm-sized stone-like object, half blue and half white, looking very much like horse liver and quite unremarkable. Most people present didn’t recognize it.

“This is an ancient relic from Zhi Kingdom. Three years ago we obtained it by chance, sacrificing countless lives for about ten pounds of it. After obtaining it, we stored it in jade cabinets, nourished it with mercury, and sealed the cabinet with gold clay. After three years of warm cultivation, we’re now bringing it out.” Crown Prince Shang smiled, “Taking a fingernail-sized piece, grinding it to powder, and mixing it with nine-transformation elixir pills – after consumption, one can go years without hunger or thirst.”

Everyone went “oh” and leaned back in their chairs, looking uninterested.

Everyone present was nobility living in golden halls – no one would ever lack food or clothing for even a day. This thing should be a treasure for poor families, but how could poor families afford such a treasure?

“Useless. Completely useless.” Jing Hengbo pursed her lips, completely losing interest.

“I haven’t finished yet.” Shang Lue smiled mysteriously, unhurriedly continuing, “Rubbing it on hair will turn white hair black.”

All the women present brightened. This thing could turn white hair black? Then it truly was a treasure. Everyone would grow old someday.

“But the effect is only temporary.” Shang Lue added another sentence, then announced the price, “Starting price: thirty thousand gold. Each bid increases by one thousand.”

This price wasn’t low. The item’s usefulness was debatable – important in some ways, unimportant in others. Everyone was considering and pondering. Jing Hengbo frowned. She felt this thing wasn’t very useful to her. Although she loved beauty, by the time she grew white hair she would already be very, very old. Just turning white hair black while still having a face full of wrinkles wouldn’t be even more unsightly?

Shang Lue had already begun announcing the price for the second treasure.

“Second, blue mud pearl. This item can be said to be useful to all Dahuang people.” Shang Lue took out a second brocade box, retrieving a thumb-sized blue pearl. The pearl was dull and still covered with mud, equally unremarkable.

But someone recognized it and exclaimed: “Could this be the legendary blue mud divine pearl that can turn swamp silt into clear water?”

“Exactly.” Shang Lue smiled smugly.

The venue immediately erupted again, with reactions more intense than Jing Hengbo’s six masks. Dahuang was covered with swamps. Many countries and tribes had territories that were more than half swamp, and not good swamps either, which limited civilian life and production. If they could obtain the blue mud pearl, the swamps could be immediately improved.

Country rulers whose territories contained legendary treasure-hiding swamps, like Jing Hengbo, breathed rapidly with burning gazes. Especially Jing Hengbo – the Blackwater Ze under her rule was legendary as the richest treasure land in all Dahuang, but also the most dangerous because the black swamp bottom hid countless fierce beasts. Even their species remained unknown, constantly threatening life. So even with the Tianxing treasure boat, she still faced considerable obstacles when exploring Blackwater Ze, making slow progress.

If this thing could really turn swamps into water, first those fierce beasts that were as black as Blackwater Ze would be unable to hide. Environmental changes would kill a batch first. With silt turned to water, hunting would become easier, and treasure hunting would become simpler.

“This one! This one!” Jing Hengbo could hardly resist the enormous temptation this thing brought. She grabbed Pei Shu, her nails digging into his arm, breathing rapidly, “No matter what, I must get it!”

“This thing will definitely have fierce competition.” Pei Shu narrowed his eyes, “You want it, others want it too. Whoever gets this pearl will expand their power. Between gaining and losing, it will directly cause economic power gaps between nations to widen. If I were someone else, if I couldn’t get this pearl, I definitely couldn’t let others get it either, even if it meant killing to silence them. I think this pearl will cause trouble. Shang Kingdom may not have good intentions. Are you sure you really want to compete?”

Jing Hengbo paused, her wildly beating excited heart gradually calming.

Pei Shu, this kind of commander experienced in many battles, had excellent strategic vision. She agreed with his assessment. This pearl was incredibly precious. As the saying goes, an innocent man suffers for carrying jade – after obtaining it, who knew if it would bring fortune or disaster.

But among all present, this pearl was most important to her, directly related to her imperial ambitions and how her future path would unfold. To truly give up would be genuinely reluctant.

“Our Shang Kingdom’s territory is mostly medicinal swamps, extremely precious – we absolutely couldn’t bear to turn them into water. So although this item is good, it’s useless to us, which is why we’re specially bringing it out to entertain distinguished friends.” Shang Lue smiled, “Fortunately the Blackwater Queen isn’t here, or she would go mad. With this pearl in hand, would Daimo still need her to work so hard conquering the world?”

Everyone burst into laughter, nodding frequently, all thinking that if the Blackwater Queen were here, she definitely couldn’t resist this temptation.

Jing Hengbo closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

She needed to think carefully.

Pei Shu suddenly grinned fiercely, “Think about what? The thing’s right in front of you – is there anything you dare not take? Take it! I’ll back you up!”

Jing Hengbo felt moved and patted his hand. Pei Shu’s hand was a bit cold, but a scene suddenly flashed through her mind.

On the icy wilderness, a drunk woman cried and wailed frantically. Behind her, a man held her tightly. The two huddled on the ground, embracing and trembling. The woman accidentally raised her head and glimpsed a flash of silver light from the corner of her eye, disappearing in an instant.

She hadn’t paid attention to such a scene at the time, nor remembered it afterward, but now it inexplicably surfaced from her memory. She didn’t know what this represented.

At the same time, she suddenly remembered the underground laboratory of the Thirteen Guardians in Seven Peaks Mountain’s small town. When tumbling in that dark room, she had also suddenly glimpsed flashing silver light.

She had a strange feeling and couldn’t help but be distracted.

Pei Shu suddenly slapped her, “Hurry up, bidding has started… Hey, such black hearts! This one starts directly at fifty thousand. With your remaining money, you can barely afford just this one. Aren’t you getting ready?”

Competitive bidding voices rose and fell in the venue.

“Fifty-one thousand!”

“Fifty-three thousand!”

“Fifty-six thousand!”

The crowd was excited, but listening to it, she felt confused and shook her head, covering her face with both hands.

“Oh, you want to wait and strike suddenly at the end.” Pei Shu seemed to understand, then shook his head, “Won’t work – the price is rising too fast, already eighty thousand… Looks like this young commander will have to sell some charm…”

She pressed down his hand.

“Trouble – the price has already exceeded what you can afford. How about I help you kill that most aggressive bidder?” Pei Shu was more anxious than the emperor while the eunuch remained calm, a fierce gleam flashing in his eyes.

Jing Hengbo held him back, still shaking her head.

The bidding above had reached one hundred thousand. Fewer people continued bidding. Shang Lue called three times, “One hundred thousand! Does anyone else want to bid?”

Pei Shu anxiously urged Jing Hengbo, “Hurry! Hurry!”

Jing Hengbo’s eyes flashed with conflicted light, but she bit her lip hard and refused to speak.

She understood better than anyone how important this pearl was to her. She needed this pearl more than everyone else, yet some vague premonitions and shallow panic in her heart prevented her from speaking up to stake everything on competing for this pearl.

She didn’t know what was wrong with herself. She felt inexplicably foolish, doing something absurd without reason. The pros and cons were too clear – so clear that she also thought herself confused.

Shang Lue’s final call came: “One hundred thousand! Last chance!”

Pei Shu looked at her puzzledly, saying quietly: “You’ve gone mad—”

The hammer fell with finality. She ultimately didn’t speak.

Not knowing if she was right or wrong, just following her heart.

Pei Shu was very angry, not understanding what was wrong with this inexplicable woman. Among everyone present, she needed this pearl most and had the most capability, yet she gave up.

Pei Shu ignored her. Above, Shang Lue began auctioning the horse liver stone. She pulled herself together and bid all the way, finally grabbing the item for fifty thousand taels. As a result, Pei Shu became even angrier – staying with Gong Yin, she was indeed becoming more and more stupid!

When Shang Lue handed her the item, his eyes showed both understanding and mockery. Understanding women’s pursuit of beauty, mocking that women were just women – even ruling a country, they wouldn’t have men’s broad vision and spirit of sacrifice. For the horse liver stone, she actually gave up competing for the blue mud pearl that could increase national power.

Jing Hengbo didn’t care what others thought. She put away the horse liver stone, feeling slightly disturbed.

Would buying this thing really be useful?

Gong Yin, how are you now?

…

The quiet courtyard remained very peaceful.

Zou Zheng and Ming Cheng gently entered the room. Very properly, they stopped five feet in front of Gong Yin.

Gong Yin also never liked overly bright environments. The interior was dimly lit – even standing opposite, one might not clearly see faces, which perfectly suited those two.

Ming Cheng very respectfully prostrated on the ground. With the humble, fearful attitude an old palace maid should have, she tremblingly reported to the State Preceptor about “the Queen going mad and violently grabbing people.”

Zou Zheng stood in front of her, body angled, in a habitual protective stance toward the State Preceptor.

Gong Yin listened quietly, showing no change in expression as usual. Finally, he waved his hand, indicating Ming Cheng should withdraw.

He asked not a single question before letting Ming Cheng leave. Both felt this was somewhat unexpected, but also expected – the State Preceptor was naturally a cold personality who didn’t like to talk much.

Ming Cheng didn’t say another word and backed out. Under her flying skirts, a corner of her shoe tip was faintly visible.

Gong Yin was looking up at that moment and caught sight of it, suddenly saying: “Wait!”

Ming Cheng froze, still maintaining her bowing, backing posture, her body appearing somewhat stiff.

She bent over, her fingers slowly moving, trying to pull her skirt hem to cover her shoes.

Gong Yin had already glanced at “Meng Hu,” pointing his chin at Ming Cheng, indicating he should go investigate.

Under Ming Cheng’s cyan palace maid dress hem, the exposed shoe tip was embroidered with golden lotus flowers. Lotus was a noble flower typically used only by royal women, while palace maids’ shoes were strictly forbidden from having any embroidery according to regulations.

Zou Zheng strode forward and grabbed the fleeing Ming Cheng. With a “clang,” a gleaming dagger fell from Ming Cheng’s sleeve.

Zou Zheng’s face changed dramatically. He angrily said: “You’re actually an assassin who infiltrated us!” He kicked the dagger away, flipped his hand to slam her hard, throwing her before Gong Yin. “Please, Master, interrogate her!”

Ming Cheng struggled to escape, but an ice sword was already coldly pressed against her throat.

The bone-piercing cold made Ming Cheng dare not move again. Just then Zou Zheng arrived, his face full of anger, kicking Ming Cheng in the back, sending her directly toward Gong Yin’s ice sword tip.

Seeing Ming Cheng about to be skewered on the sword tip, Gong Yin suddenly withdrew the ice sword, brushing past Ming Cheng’s neck – he still wanted to keep her alive for interrogation.

Just in that moment of sword withdrawal.

Ming Cheng suddenly rubbed her palms together.

A slight “pop” sound – something seemed to be crushed in her palm. Immediately a rich, strange smell spread. Zou Zheng and Ming Cheng showed no change after smelling it, but Gong Yin’s brow creased and his movements slowed.

Then he shouted sternly: “Ming Cheng!”

Ming Cheng laughed coldly. Something blue suddenly flew from her palm – the thing looked like an insect, faintly trailing transparent thread-like material. Extremely fast, it flashed toward Gong Yin’s lower abdomen.

After releasing this blue light, Ming Cheng didn’t continue attacking. Behind her, Zou Zheng naturally grabbed her belt and leaped backward, escaping the range Gong Yin could attack.

The blue insect had reached Gong Yin’s body. Of course, with a flick of Gong Yin’s finger, the thing disappeared without trace. This fragile insect seemingly couldn’t cause any harm to Gong Yin.

However, Gong Yin suddenly groaned. With a “swoosh,” a thin blood line seemed to appear from nowhere, spurting from his chest. At the end of that line was a finger-length needle!

The long needle pierced through his body, bringing out an extremely thin blood line.

The scene before Gong Yin was bizarre – a section of blood line followed by a long needle, the needle trailing another thin blood line, like an extremely long blood spike suddenly pulled violently from within Gong Yin’s body.

This needle appeared light and thin, but after being pulled out, it seemed to suddenly drain Gong Yin’s vital energy. His whole body trembled, and he fell backward.

Zou Zheng and Ming Cheng, who had retreated, suddenly charged forward again.

Zou Zheng already held an extremely thin dagger, stabbing it into Gong Yin’s heart. Ming Cheng pounced forward, her hand already gripping the inkstone, striking hard at the dagger. With a “crack,” the dagger that had only penetrated two inches was forcefully driven by repeated heavy blows through Gong Yin’s heart and flew out his back.

Gong Yin lay back in his chair, motionless.

Ming Cheng and Zou Zheng stood before him in a daze, facing the blood hole in his chest. Through that penetrating hole, they could even see his heart had already ruptured.

Anyone suffering such an injury would certainly die completely.

But even so, Ming Cheng still raised her hand, tremblingly testing Gong Yin’s breathing several times before despairingly lowering her hand.

“Dead…” she murmured.

The two looked at each other. Even having finally succeeded, they still felt it was hard to believe, as if in a dream – could two people like them, who weren’t even skilled in martial arts, really have killed this man who could be said to be the most powerful in the world?

“Dead…” Ming Cheng said in a trembling voice, “Really… dead?”

“Even the most powerful people will die.” Zou Zheng didn’t know if he was trying to make her believe or confirm it himself. “Earthen jars cannot avoid breaking at the well’s edge; generals inevitably fall in battle. The more powerful someone is, the easier it is to fall to small people’s hands, isn’t it?”

Ming Cheng stared blankly at that penetrating hole, tears flowing down blankly. “You… you’re still dead… but you really should have died… These years, I poisoned you three times total, but actually the first two times were just catalyst drugs, just catalysts to disrupt the Prajna Snow in your body. Today’s third time was the real mother poison that triggered the previous poisons… Gong Yin, ah Gong Yin, for so long, so long, I actually never truly tried to kill you. I didn’t want to, I didn’t want to… but why did you force me? Why did you treat me this way?”

Tears fell steadily, striking the table with audible pattering, like those nights of solitary lamps and fires, hearing the candle wicks being burned and exploding again and again. Each explosion was the destruction of a memory, each explosion seemed to hear the sound of a heart breaking. This bedchamber was full of dark fragrance and wind, with embroidered curtains never opening. In such long loneliness and pain, she suddenly understood her path had narrowed to just a short stretch – either be slowly consumed like this candle, or burn one great fire and step out her own path through the ashes.

There was also the possibility of self-immolation, but self-immolation and being slowly burned to death by others – the former could at least win a quick end.

To die quickly, to love or hate quickly, to quickly throw those entangled secret loves of the past into ruins and bone piles. If she couldn’t possess, better to destroy everything.

The tears gradually turned into laughter. She laughed coldly, gasping for breath, “…Hahaha, I told you never to underestimate women… Look, in the end it was still a woman who killed you… Can you guess how I knew there was a needle in your body? Can you guess how I learned the Snowy Mountain’s unique forceful needle-pulling technique? Hahaha, you’ll never know in this lifetime… Alas, pitiful. Powerful as you were, you were actually just a whetstone – used, borrowed, and employed to sharpen others… “

The laughter was eerie and cold, low and secretive, swirling through the thick bloody smell and dim interior, making listeners’ backs crawl. Zou Zheng shivered slightly, looking uneasily at her silhouette, thinking this woman might really be going mad. He quickly reminded: “Don’t say so much now. We need to clean up quickly.”

Ming Cheng wiped the tears from laughing and responded “Mm.” Outside, there seemed to be approaching footsteps. The two quickly sped up their actions. Ming Cheng removed her own mask and put it on Gong Yin’s face, took off Gong Yin’s clothes for Zou Zheng to change into, then took off her own outer garment to dress Gong Yin in, then she put on Zou Zheng’s discarded Meng Hu clothes. After all three had changed clothes, they took the non-melting ice sword and inserted it through the penetrating hole in Gong Yin’s chest, then put away the real murder weapon, the dagger.

While doing this, inevitably touching his already cold corpse again and again, that ethereal feeling in her heart finally gradually touched reality, though she didn’t know whether to feel joy or melancholy – Gong Yin, Gong Yin, this man she fell in love with at first sight, yet loved and hated for life, was really dead.

She still remembered that first meeting before the golden carriage years ago, her slowly extended hand, and the boy’s stubborn yet cold eyes below the carriage.

Later, when heaven and earth overturned, everything of hers belonged to him. After crawling through dust and mud, no amount of compensation could offset the pain and resentment of those years.

She had once been a flower blooming in someone’s palm, shining with pearl-like brilliance. She had once been innocent, thinking that liking someone was enough to obtain everything. Later she finally understood – flowers would wither, pearl light would dim. Only the brilliance of power and wealth was eternally undying.

Crouching beside Gong Yin’s corpse, she hastily disguised him as a palace maid, moving quickly but with a chaotic heart.

Zou Zheng was also continuing to disguise himself as Gong Yin – for him, this was already a simple matter.

As for Ming Cheng disguising herself as Meng Hu, she really didn’t look much like him. Ming Cheng tore her clothes somewhat, rubbed them slightly in the blood pool to get blood all over her body and face, then shrank into the shadows.

Zou Zheng quickly walked behind the desk, pushed the disguised corpse to the floor, and violently smashed the inkstone.

The crashing sound immediately alarmed the guards. Soon Yu Chun’s voice rang out outside the door: “Master!”

“You’re becoming more and more confused!” Zou Zheng didn’t acknowledge Yu Chun but scolded Ming Cheng instead. “You didn’t properly search such a spy before bringing her in!”

Ming Cheng stammered apologies. Yu Chun poked his head in and was startled. Seeing the seated “Gong Yin” with a cold expression, he was too frightened to ask more.

“Get out.” Zou Zheng picked up a book again. “The person is dead, the lead is broken. Handle it directly. You made a foolish mistake today – this cannot go unpunished. You will stand guard at the Yuzhao outer court for one month, starting tonight.”

Ming Cheng bowed her head in acknowledgment, looking anxious and ashamed. Everyone who saw the situation understood – presumably this Jin Gu was a spy who used tricks to deceive the Grand Commander, infiltrated the Quiet Courtyard intending to assassinate the State Preceptor, was discovered and committed suicide.

This sort of thing was quite normal. The Grand Commander acting carelessly and being punished wasn’t the first time either. To avoid suspicion, everyone didn’t dare say much or offer comfort. They all stepped aside, watching Meng Hu hang his head dejectedly, personally dragging the corpse outside. Yu Chun, while he was passing, even leaned over to whisper: “It’s alright, just go. When the Master’s anger passes, we’ll help you plead your case and you can return.”

“Meng Hu” half-turned his head in the shadows, his lips seeming to curve in a vague grateful smile. He dragged his steps away, appearing very heavy. Everyone easily understood this as emotional heaviness rather than exhaustion from dragging a corpse.

Watching “Meng Hu’s” retreating figure, the “Gong Yin” above cast down his book and said indifferently: “Strengthen defenses in the Quiet Courtyard. Three shifts without rest. Strictly forbid all outsiders from entering. Also, focus on protecting the Queen’s bedchamber. From today onward, no one is allowed near the Queen’s bedchamber. Palace servants within the Queen’s bedchamber are not allowed to leave the palace by even one step. All food and supplies can be transported by cart to the rear gate of the bedchamber – no private contact or smuggling is permitted. Violators will be killed without question.”

“Yes.” He spoke a sentence, Yu Chun responded once, then ordered guards to enter and clean the blood stains and tidy the floor. Finally seeing his expression had turned peaceful, Yu Chun said: “Master, what you arranged has been completed.”

Zou Zheng raised an eyebrow. He naturally didn’t know what Yu Chun was referring to, and was somewhat surprised – after Gong Yin returned, he hadn’t directly participated in any affairs, yet he had apparently privately instructed Yu Chun to handle things.

Feeling somewhat nervous but maintaining a calm expression, he noncommittally grunted.

“The ceremonial robes and such were all made with the finest materials, the best tailors, and the most exquisite designs.” Yu Chun said ingratiatingly. “The Queen will definitely be satisfied.”

Zou Zheng grunted again and said: “Later, news about her…”

“I will definitely deliver it to you immediately.” Yu Chun smiled.

Zou Zheng nodded and waved his hand – he would soon know which queen this was.

Judging by the tone, Gong Yin cared very much about this queen. So which one was it? Could it be the legendary one who once had an ambiguous relationship with him, then was later exiled?

Although Zou Zheng was a puppet, having stayed in the political center for so long, he gradually came to know the general situation of some matters. He thought of the time when Gong Yin wasn’t in the palace, thought of the Blackwater Queen’s gradual rise during that period, and the constant correspondence between Meng Hu and Dahuang’s interior during that time. In his heart, he gradually formed an outline.

He gently turned the brush on Gong Yin’s desk, his eyes gradually filled with a sinister coldness.

The Blackwater Queen…

With a “click,” he set down the brush and slowly walked into the inner room, sitting beside the bed where Gong Yin usually rested.

Gong Yin’s bed was hard and cold, not comfortable at all. Yet when he lay down on that bed and stretched his limbs, his expression was as comfortable and pleasant as if he had fallen into a soft cloud nest.

Comfortable – having accomplished a great deed, completed a great achievement, something as unimaginable as a dream that finally became reality.

Only now did excitement and exhilaration dare to boil in his blood. The enormous sense of achievement was suppressed in his heart, only regretting there was no one to share it with.

He closed his eyes. The moonlight was pale, illuminating the corner of his lips in a smug smile.