The Prime Minister’s Daughter and the Marquis’s Fool – Chapter 152

You Dare Issue Orders in the Emperor’s Stead

Lin Xikuan looked at his father, whose head was twisted to one side. Feigning a look of profound heartache, he asked after his father’s comfort in an overly solicitous tone. “Father’s body is no longer in its prime. If you do not eat the things Xikuan has so carefully prepared, you will not be able to endure it.”

Lin Jianhai kept his face turned away, ignoring him entirely.

            

Seeing this, Lin Xikuan smiled. He did not seem annoyed in the slightest. Raising a fist to his nose, he coughed softly and set the tray of food to the side.

He would simply bring it again later.

Lin Xikuan stood up. He lowered his eyes to look at the man on the bed. Recently, Lin Jianhai had withered to less than half his former size. A smile curved Lin Xikuan’s pale lips. “Take good care of yourself, Father,” he said weakly. “This child will take his leave.”

            

Lin Jianhai’s head remained angled to the side. He did not so much as glance at him. The corner of Lin Xikuan’s mouth ticked upward. As he turned toward the door, he spotted Lin Xirui standing just outside.

Lin Xikuan had no idea when his brother had arrived. He paused for a fraction of a second, then smiled. “When did Third Brother arrive?”

Lin Xirui glanced into the room, his eyes full of worry. “Just now. Is Father doing any better?”

            

Hearing this, Lin Xikuan glanced over his shoulder. “Father refuses to eat. My persuasion was of no use. Why don’t you try?”

Lin Xirui lowered his eyelids and nodded. “I will try.”

Lin Xikuan stepped aside to let him pass. Watching Lin Xirui’s back and considering his earlier demeanor, Lin Xikuan concluded he really had just arrived.

            

Lin Xirui walked into the room. He saw Lin Jianhai lying flat on his back, his head turned inward toward the wall. “Father?” he called softly.

At the sound of his third son’s voice, Lin Jianhai’s body gave a slight jerk. He quickly turned his head to look at him.

“Ah… ah, ah…”

            

Lin Jianhai let out hoarse grunts. His mouth was so severely paralyzed that he could no longer form words, completely unable to control his own facial muscles.

Lin Xirui had heard earlier that his father was paralyzed in bed, but his heart had been unable to forgive the man for murdering his mother with his own hands, so he had avoided seeing him.

Over the past several days, people in the residence had successively contracted the febrile disease. Initially, Lin Xirui had also been bedridden. Now that he could finally get up, he had begun to worry about Lin Jianhai.

            

Lin Xirui could not understand what his father was trying to say. He glanced at the tray of food on the small table. It was a balanced meal of meat and vegetables, complete with soup and congee.

Bending down, Lin Xirui picked up the bowl Lin Xikuan had just portioned out. He sat on the edge of the bed and said gently, “Father, eat a little. This child will feed you.”

Hearing that Lin Xirui intended to feed him, Lin Jianhai’s grunting grew louder and more frantic. Lin Xirui hesitated in confusion and looked back at Lin Xikuan.

            

“Father means he doesn’t want to eat,” Lin Xikuan said from the sidelines, his eyes brimming with mock distress. “It was just like this when I tried to feed him earlier.”

Lin Xirui looked from his brother back to the continuously grunting Lin Jianhai. He let out a heavy sigh and urged, “This child and Second Brother specifically instructed the kitchens to prepare this meal this morning. Father, you should at least have a few bites.”

Lin Xirui knew that Lin Jianhai had also contracted the plague. He asked about his condition every day and had instructed the servants to be extra attentive. Even though Lin Jianhai had killed his mother, blood was ultimately thicker than water. He could not bear to watch his father simply wither away and die like this.

            

It was just that returning to the way things used to be was impossible.

Hearing his words, Lin Jianhai’s noisy grunts inexplicably began to slow. He stared at Lin Xirui with a scrutinizing gaze that gradually gave way to a sliver of fear.

Seeing that Lin Jianhai had stopped making noise, Lin Xikuan stood behind Lin Xirui, a sneer spreading across his face.

            

“Come, this child will feed you,” Lin Xirui said. He switched to the congee, scooped up a spoonful, and brought it to Lin Jianhai’s lips. He carefully poured it through the crooked gap of his father’s mouth.

Lin Jianhai stared blankly at his third son as he slowly swallowed the congee.

Seeing his father swallow, a hint of a smile touched Lin Xirui’s eyes. After a moment, he scooped up another spoonful. Just as he was about to feed him again, Lin Jianhai suddenly snapped his face to the side, violently knocking the porcelain spoon from Lin Xirui’s hand.

            

Congee splattered everywhere. Lin Xirui hastily grabbed a handkerchief to wipe Lin Jianhai clean. While he was still scrubbing, a servant arrived outside to report that Lin Xizhao had returned.

“Shizi¹, Second Young Master, the Junzhu² has returned.” The servant attending to Lin Jianhai was draped in a specially made layer of protective clothing and wore a veil over his face to deliver the news.

Lin Xirui and Lin Xikuan had entirely different reactions to the news of Lin Xizhao’s return. Lin Xirui was overjoyed, while Lin Xikuan appeared somewhat panicked.

            

“Did Ajie return alone?” Lin Xikuan asked hurriedly.

“No, she returned with the Qu Residence’s Fourth Young Master and Fourth Young Madam. They are currently still at the Qu Residence. She sent word that she will return this evening.”

The moment Lin Xikuan heard she wasn’t coming back until evening, he visibly relaxed. Lin Xirui desperately wanted to go see Lin Xizhao, but because he was infected with the plague, he dared not leave the estate.

            

Having heard that the Qu Residence’s preventative measures were so effective that not a single person there had caught the disease, Lin Xirui thought for a moment and said, “Send someone to pass along a message. Tell Ajie that we are all doing well and that she does not need to return.”

With most of the people in the estate infected, he was worried that if she came back, she would catch it too.

“Shizi, the Junzhu had people deliver a large amount of medicine. She said it can cure the febrile disease and ordered that we boil it and have everyone drink it. Those who are not sick can also take it as a preventative measure. The kitchens have already started brewing it.”

            

At the mention of a cure, Lin Xirui’s eyes instantly lit up.

---

The Qu Residence.

On the journey back with Qu Yu and the others, the closer they got to the Capital City, the more apprehensive Lin Xizhao became. After agonizing over it for a long time, she decided to first tell Zhao Jiayu about Fourth Uncle Qu Jian’s death and Qu Ting’s disappearance.

            

Upon hearing the news, Zhao Jiayu sat in heavy silence for a long time. She discussed it with Lin Xizhao for a full day before finally breaking the news to Qu Yu.

Now that everyone had returned to the estate, Qu Yu was supported as he walked to Qu Jian’s memorial tablet. Once there, he fell to his knees and refused to get up. He was so weak and frail that they had even felt the need to hide his own uncle’s death from him.

Zhao Jiayu knelt beside him. Qu Yu pressed his forehead to the floor and wept in silent, agonizing grief. Qu Ting was missing, and yet he was powerless to do anything. A crushing sense of failure washed over him once more, leaving him unable to face his family.

            

He should have been the one to go to the warfront in Qu Sheng’s place, yet he could only leave his younger sister to suffer the hardship. Amidst the flash of blades and shadows of swords, she could lose her life at any moment. Even though he believed in Qu Sheng’s capabilities, what he felt most was a deep, aching worry for her.

After kneeling for four hours, Qu Yu’s eyes burned with exhausted tears. He lifted his head and looked at his wife. Seeing her kneeling there so dutifully, his heart ached. “Wife, go back first. Zhimu still needs you to take care of her.”

Zhao Jiayu looked at him, her lips curving into a faint smile. “Where my husband is, I am. I won’t go anywhere else. Zhimu has Xizhao; she won’t come looking for me.”

            

Over the past few days, their daughter, Qu Zhimu, had glued herself to Lin Xizhao’s side—much like a young Zhao Jiayu once had, when she first met Lin Xizhao and stubbornly refused to walk until she could follow her back to the estate to sleep in her bed.

“Wife…”

Zhao Jiayu did not try to persuade him to leave, choosing instead to kneel firmly by his side. Qu Yu’s heart was mired in grief, but he cared deeply for his wife.

            

Seeing Zhao Jiayu’s resolute expression and remembering how everyone in the estate had kept the truth from him out of concern, he realized he needed to be stronger. He had to recover as soon as possible. If Qu Ting still hadn’t been found by the time he was well, he would go find him himself.

“Let’s go back,” Qu Yu said on his own accord, without needing anyone to coax him.

Hearing him say this, Zhao Jiayu hurriedly stood up and helped him to his feet. When the doors opened, Qu Yu was met with the relieved and approving gazes of his family.

            

Everyone had been terrified that he would suffer a relapse. Even Liu Wuxiang was waiting on standby nearby.

Seeing Qu Yu and Zhao Jiayu walk out together, the heavy tension in everyone’s hearts finally dissipated.

Lin Xizhao still held the little girl in her arms. Zhimu’s arms were wrapped snugly around Lin Xizhao’s neck as she lay against her chest, seemingly on the verge of falling asleep. When she heard the commotion, she didn’t even lift her head, merely raising her eyes quietly to look at Lin Xizhao.

            

That evening, Lin Xizhao ordered a carriage prepared.

The Qu Residence had been sending people to check on the three Lin family men all along. Hearing that her relatives were showing signs of improvement, Lin Xizhao waited until Qu Yu’s situation had settled before rushing back to the Lin Residence, bringing Doctor Liu Wuxiang with her.

She had been told that Lin Jianhai’s old illness had flared up due to a fit of extreme rage, leaving him paralyzed in bed. The imperial physicians had already been to see him, but his condition had shown no improvement.

            

Everyone in the Lin estate had already drunk the medicinal soup meant to cure the plague. On Qu Jinian’s end, he had submitted a memorial to the Emperor to make the prescription public. He had also dispatched personnel to surrounding provinces to purchase massive quantities of medicinal herbs and distribute them to neighboring prefectures and counties.

Lin Xizhao visited her two younger brothers first. After having Liu Wuxiang check their pulses and write out targeted prescriptions, she hurried to Lin Jianhai’s courtyard.

Ever since swallowing a single spoonful of congee that morning, Lin Jianhai had not eaten a thing.

            

Hearing that his daughter had returned, Lin Jianhai’s expression remained exceedingly dull and vacant. A sharp ache seized Lin Xizhao’s chest, and tears of anxious panic welled in her eyes.

She felt a stab of regret for holding onto her anger toward him, for refusing to even visit him.

Liu Wuxiang checked Lin Jianhai’s pulse. His eyelids fluttered as he looked up at Lin Xizhao. Watching from the side, Lin Xizhao saw that while his face was calm, it lacked its usual gentle reassurance. She asked, “Doctor Liu, how is my father?”

            

“Liver qi stagnation. This illness was born entirely from pent-up frustration.”

Remembering how she had brought Qu Sheng and marriage gifts back to the estate, angering Lin Jianhai to the point of vomiting blood, panic gripped her heart. “Can he still be cured?”

“I will try,” Liu Wuxiang said. He withdrew his hand from the patient’s wrist, walked over to write out a prescription, and handed it to a servant to brew. He then retrieved his silver acupuncture needles.

            

As he searched for the specific gauge of needles he needed, Liu Wuxiang said to Lin Xizhao, “His body has been blocked for quite some time, and some areas have already necrotized. I will do all that is humanly possible, and leave the rest to fate³.” Even he was not entirely certain of success.

Hearing this, Lin Xizhao wiped away her tears with the back of her hand and nodded. “Alright. Thank you, Doctor Liu.” For Liu Wuxiang to speak so cautiously meant the situation was truly severe.

She had already confined Lin Xirui and Lin Xikuan to their rooms to rest. Now that she was back, there was no need for them to exhaust themselves running the household; they simply needed to focus on recovering.

            

Liu Wuxiang began inserting needles into Lin Jianhai. As he twirled the silver slivers, Lin Jianhai’s limbs quickly showed slight reflex reactions. After a few more insertions, Liu Wuxiang moved down to his lower extremities.

Just as with his upper body, after manipulating the needles for a moment, Lin Jianhai’s legs reacted.

Liu Wuxiang withdrew the needles. He looked at Lin Jianhai’s crooked face and had a servant bring a warm towel to lay across it. After a short wait, he fetched some ginger, placed slices over the acupoints, and performed moxibustion⁴ over them.

            

Lin Xizhao sat in the outer room, waiting. Liu Wuxiang busied himself inside for several hours. By the time he finally emerged, it was late into the night.

“Your father has fallen asleep. Tomorrow, scrape⁵ his body and see if there is any reaction,” Liu Wuxiang said, wiping his hands.

Lin Xizhao bowed her head in a formal salute. “Understood. Tomorrow, when Father wakes, I will try it.”

            

“Mm.” Liu Wuxiang nodded. He watched as a servant from the Qu Residence finished packing his needle kit for him, then turned to Lin Xizhao. “It is late. I should be heading back.”

“Let Xizhao see you out.”

After walking Liu Wuxiang to the estate gates, Lin Xizhao returned to her father’s bedside. Seeing Lin Jianhai’s brows knitted tightly even in sleep, a fresh wave of guilt washed over her.

            

She sat up through the night, waiting for Lin Jianhai to wake.

Lin Xikuan and Lin Xirui arrived first thing in the morning. She had told them not to move about, but how could they possibly sit still? Hearing from the servants that Lin Xizhao had stayed up all night keeping watch, they rushed over immediately.

Hearing them approach, Lin Xizhao opened her weary eyes. She watched her two brothers walk in, then shifted her gaze back to their father.

            

Lin Jianhai was awake, though his eyes remained blank and unfocused. Lin Xikuan peered over at his father’s expression, lowering his eyes in brief contemplation. It seemed even he wasn’t entirely sure of Lin Jianhai’s exact state.

Seeing that her father’s eyes were open, Lin Xizhao followed Liu Wuxiang’s instructions. She took a piece of smooth jade and began scraping it along several of Lin Jianhai’s acupoints. When she saw his limbs twitch in response, a glimmer of hopeful light broke through her dark, worried eyes. She hurriedly threw back the corner of the quilt and tested his legs and the soles of his feet. Finding that he had the reflex to retract them, she immediately called for a servant to run to the Qu Residence and inform Liu Wuxiang.

Liu Wuxiang rushed over early in the morning. After personally testing the reflexes, he laughed. “Fortunately, we were in time.”

            

When Lin Xikuan heard Liu Wuxiang’s verdict, he secretly knitted his brows together where no one else could see.

By noon, Lin Jianhai’s crooked mouth was showing clear signs of improvement. Upon hearing that he was getting better, a spark of awareness returned to his gaze, and he looked at Lin Xizhao.

As father and daughter locked eyes, Lin Xizhao’s eyes brimmed with hot tears, but Lin Jianhai’s expression remained somewhat wooden.

            

---

A little over half a month had passed since Zhu Ming’an had peddled the warhorses to the rebel army. Without warning, Qu Sheng issued the order to strike at the heartland of the rebel alliance.

Hundreds of thousands of troops marched out of their encampments in unison, led once again by heavy infantry clearing the path. Cavalry scattered in all directions, galloping toward the major cities held by the rebels. The newly reorganized Qu family army clashed with the rebel forces and swiftly captured five cities.

Using the promise of humane treatment for prisoners of war as bait, Qu Sheng caused entire segments of the rebel army to surrender without a fight, seamlessly absorbing them into her own ranks.

            

Upon hearing the news, King Chao immediately prepared to flee. Keeping his newly formed force of fifty thousand cavalry by his side, he led his men north.

The retreating rebel armies were steadily devoured, slaughtered, or scattered by the Qu family troops. Over a hundred thousand men surrendered.

Qu Sheng gathered her forces but showed no rush to pursue King Chao.

            

King Chao had assumed Qu Sheng would do what she had always done—let him off the hook at the very last moment. Yet, for reasons he couldn’t comprehend, a sudden mutiny erupted within his ranks. The junior cavalry commander leading the vanguard personally bound him in ropes.

Sitting in the commander’s seat within the central military tent, Qu Sheng looked down at King Chao, who was sprawled on the ground. She listened as the former rebel cavalryman gave his report.

“This last general, Cai Daozheng, has not failed his mission. I have captured the head of the rebel thieves and brought him here to be handed over to the General.”

            

The moment King Chao heard the name ‘Cai Daozheng,’ his head snapped around in sheer, uncomprehending shock.

Cai Daozheng was a man of prominent reputation who had previously followed Qu Sheng to occupy the capital and had subsequently received an imperial title. Back when King Chao first acquired the warhorses, he had immediately ordered his men to select capable recruits from the ranks to serve as cavalrymen. Anyone with decent horsemanship was inducted. In just a few short days, he had scraped together a force of fifty thousand.

Cai Daozheng had been one of them. Starting as a nameless grunt, he had consistently excelled in the martial trials King Chao had set up. He was quickly inducted into the core army and given command of several thousand riders.

            

King Chao was a paranoid man; the supreme commander he placed in charge of the cavalry was his own trusted confidant. But the bizarre truth was that during their flight, those cavalrymen had only listened to the orders barked by Cai Daozheng.

Qu Sheng rose from the commander’s seat and stepped down from the dais. She lowered her eyes, peering down at the prostrate King Chao, a sneer tugging at the corner of her lips. “Are you wondering how exactly he managed to command your cavalry?”

Hearing Qu Sheng pose the question to King Chao, Cai Daozheng let out a booming, boisterous laugh. “Where did you think your warhorses came from? My General prepared them just for you. Managing to recruit a full cavalry force in just a few days—didn’t you find that suspicious? Ah, but it was my General who was brilliant. The moment she seized a few of your cities, you panicked and started accepting anyone who applied. Look at the rabble you recruited! How could they possibly compare to the elite soldiers under my General’s command? We only kept you alive because you still had some use.”

            

Listening to Cai Daozheng’s words, a brutal realization crashed over King Chao. He had liquidated almost his entire fortune just to buy grain and warhorses. What he couldn’t understand was why Qu Sheng had bothered swindling the silver out of him when she clearly could have just marched in and taken it by force.

Qu Sheng’s eyelids lifted slightly, shifting her gaze to the seated military officers. Ignoring King Chao’s confusion entirely, she commanded, “Pass down the order. Reward the three armies. One jin⁶ of wine and two jin of meat for every man. We rest in place for three days.”

With the fighting quelled, the soldiers finally had a chance to rest. As Qu Sheng’s order to reward the troops spread, the entire army erupted in cheers, hailing the might of their general.

            

---

In the grand hall of the Capital City, the Morning Court was still underway.

They had already entered the dog days of summer⁷. Even though it was still early morning, large basins of ice had been placed along the sides of the hall to dispel the stifling heat for the gathered officials.

While the ministers were memorializing court affairs, an urgent dispatch suddenly arrived via fast horse. The southern war was over. Qu Sheng had executed the rebel thief King Chao, detained the remaining feudal lords, and was now requesting imperial permission to return her army to the capital in triumph.

            

As the Emperor listened to the messenger soldier relay the joyous news, a delighted smile immediately broke across his face. He quickly looked toward Qu Jinian. “The Pillar of the State has raised a fine daughter! Men, pass down This Emperor’s decree: Order the General of the Flying Cavalry to return to the capital in triumph. This Emperor shall reward them handsomely.”

“Your Majesty, you must not!” A civil official immediately stepped out from the ranks, voicing his vehement opposition.

Hearing this, the Emperor feigned a moment of confusion. “What is it you object to, my beloved minister?”

            

“Your Majesty, the General of the Flying Cavalry’s victory is indeed worthy of praise and celebration. However, the forces under her command—aside from the troops requisitioned from Shoulin and the capital’s outskirts—are entirely comprised of garrison troops from various feudal lords. This humble subject believes she should return those troops to the various feudal lords, send the Qu family army back to Shoulin, and return to the capital with only the remaining forces. Your Majesty can then dispatch couriers to deliver the rewards on fast horses. That would be the safest course of action.”

“Your Majesty, this humble subject agrees with Lord Rong’s memorial. The General of the Flying Cavalry commands an army of nearly a million men. For such a massive military force to enter the heart of the capital would cause untold disruption. Furthermore, the febrile disease in the surrounding counties has not yet been fully eradicated. If the soldiers in the army were to contract it, the infection would spread from one to ten, and ten to a hundred, resulting in a staggering military expenditure. This subject believes it best to disband the men back to their original posts and distribute the rewards from afar.”

“Your Majesty, this humble subject seconds the motion. The General of the Flying Cavalry borrowed those troops specifically to suppress the rebellion. Now that the rebels have been executed, the troops should be returned to their garrisons.”

            

Listening to the counsel of his ministers, the Emperor blinked and looked toward Qu Jinian. “What does the Pillar of the State think?”

Qu Jinian had listened to the courtiers’ memorials with a remarkably placid expression. Hearing the Emperor’s question, he took a step forward. Holding his white jade ritual tablet in both hands, he bowed. “To reply to Your Majesty: Although the conflict in the South has been pacified, the foreign invasions in the North have not ceased. If the General of the Flying Cavalry is bringing her troops back to the capital, she likely intends to reinforce the Northern Frontier. This humble subject believes it would be best to dispatch an envoy to ask the General if this is indeed her intention before making a final decision.”

The Emperor’s eyelids fluttered as he considered this. Qu Jinian’s words weren’t unreasonable, but the Emperor’s true thoughts mirrored those of his ministers.

            

Having a massive army encircle the capital was no trivial matter.

“Draft the edict. Order an envoy to ride to the pacification army at once and question the General of the Flying Cavalry.”

---

Three days later, the pacification army received the imperial envoy. Sitting inside the central commander’s tent, Qu Sheng listened to his inquiry and smiled. “Naturally, we intend to march north and assist the blood-soaked soldiers of the Northern Frontier. Lord Envoy, please return at once and report this to His Majesty, so that we may depart for the North as soon as possible.”

            

Hearing this, the envoy felt his heart settle slightly. He smiled back. “In that case, this lower official will return to the capital immediately to inform His Majesty, so that the grain and forage may be prepared for the General’s great army to march north and expel the foreign enemy.”

Qu Sheng laughed magnanimously. “Men! Dispatch twenty guards to escort the Lord Envoy back to the capital.”

The envoy stepped out of the tent, was guided onto a horse by the guards, and rode away with his escort.

            

Two hours later, an Assistant Commander entered the tent. Qu Sheng gave him a single sidelong glance and issued her order: “Strike the tents! Break camp!”

Three days passed, and the court waited in vain for the envoy to return. The Emperor paced restlessly in the palace. At noon, scouts stationed fifty li⁸ outside the city arrived with an urgent report: the army led by Qu Sheng had breached the capital’s territorial borders.

Terrified by the news, the Emperor instantly summoned his trusted aides and dispatched a second envoy, ordering Qu Sheng to halt her forces a hundred li from the capital and forbidding her from taking another step forward!

            

But the man left and never returned.

Qu Sheng’s army marched to within five li of the capital and set up camp.

Only then did the first envoy the Emperor had dispatched finally ride in from the rear of the army. The moment he entered the capital, he broke down in tears, crying that the men Qu Sheng had sent to escort him had forcibly gotten him drunk, delaying him for an entire day and preventing him from delivering the message in time.

            

Now, Qu Sheng’s forces fully encircled the capital. Taking thirty thousand cavalry, she entered the city through the gates controlled by Liang Lianhui and marched directly into the palace to make her report.

The cavalry flooded the city streets, swiftly replacing the very guards the Emperor had previously ordered changed, and seized several critical positions within the palace itself.

Inside the grand hall, Qu Sheng, clad in red armor with a crimson cloak billowing from her shoulders, threw the man who had tried to halt her march onto the floor. Raising her hands in a formal salute, she reported, “Your Majesty, this man forged an imperial edict, attempting to prevent my soldiers from returning victorious to the capital. I request Your Majesty issue the decree for his immediate execution!”

            

The court ministers stared at the soldiers Qu Sheng had stationed outside the hall’s doors. Hearing the sudden, icy edge in her voice, they kept perfectly silent, not daring to utter a single word.

The Emperor stared at the envoy he had personally dispatched, who was now kneeling on the floor, shivering uncontrollably. Just as the man raised his head to beg for his life, Qu Sheng’s cold voice rang out. “Men, drag this treasonous, audacious thief outside and beat him to death with heavy staffs!”

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty, this subject is falsely accused! Your Majesty, save me!” The envoy was seized by Qu Sheng’s soldiers and dragged out of the hall. Screams immediately tore through the air. It only took a few strikes before he coughed up blood and died.

            

The soldier administering the punishment stepped back inside. Without first reporting to the Emperor, he turned directly to Qu Sheng. “General, the man is dead.” He then stepped back into position.

Qu Sheng cast a frigid, sweeping glare over the ministers in the hall. Suddenly, one man stepped out and pointed an accusatory finger at her. “His Majesty ordered you to reinforce the Northern Frontier! Why did the General of the Flying Cavalry disobey? Surrounding the capital with an army of a million—are you attempting to stage a rebellion?!”

“Hmph.” Qu Sheng listened to the minister hurling insults at her and let out a cold snort. “His Majesty never issued an edict ordering us to the Northern Frontier. By saying such a thing, Lord Minister, are you also forging imperial decrees?”

            

It was true that Qu Sheng had never actually received a formal edict ordering her to reinforce the North. When the first envoy asked, she had simply agreed verbally, then ordered her men to get him drunk on the road to delay his journey while her army marched straight for the capital.

Qu Sheng knew that if the Emperor had received her answer, he would have inevitably used the excuse of proximity to order her massive army to bypass the capital entirely and march directly north. But the sole objective of her entire campaign lay within this very city. How could she possibly let such a perfect opportunity slip by?

“Men, drag this treasonous thief who forges imperial edicts out of the hall and execute him on the spot!” At this moment, Qu Sheng did not even grant the Son of Heaven sitting on the throne a direct look.

            

A look of sheer panic seized the Emperor’s face. When he tried to seek help, he realized that out of wariness toward Qu Jinian, he hadn’t summoned him to court today. With Qu Sheng indiscriminately slaughtering his officials, Qu Jinian was the only person who could possibly keep her in check.

Outside, the soldiers heard the command and stormed in, dragging the Minister of War away.

“Qu Sheng, how dare you! His Majesty hasn’t spoken a word, yet you dare to issue orders in the Emperor’s stead! You traitor! Guards! Guards! Protect the Emperor! Protect—” The Minister of War’s words ended the exact moment his head hit the ground.

            

“Your Majesty,” Qu Sheng finally looked up, speaking only after the chaotic shouting had been silenced.

Hearing her voice, the Emperor’s body gave a violent jolt. Startled out of his wits, he hurriedly tore his gaze away from the carnage outside and looked at Qu Sheng.

“G-General of the Flying Cavalry, please speak,” the Emperor stammered, so terrified by Qu Sheng that his soul had practically fled his body.

            

She murdered ministers on a whim, and not a single person outside had stepped forward to stop her. The Emperor was terrified that he would be her next target.

“This humble subject has some items here—evidence proving that someone deliberately spread the febrile disease. I humbly request that Your Majesty handle this matter impartially,” Qu Sheng said. She turned slightly and lifted the letters, ledgers, and objects a soldier handed to her.

Seeing this, the inner court attendant beside the Emperor practically threw himself down the stairs. Catching the evidence Qu Sheng offered with both hands, he presented it to the Emperor.

            

At this moment, the Dragon Throne felt entirely too scorching to sit on. The Emperor took the documents and scanned them closely, only to realize that what he was looking at was a list of names.

And at the very top of that list was the former Crown Prince, his eldest son, Sheng Hongmiao.

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The author has something to say:

            

Qu Sheng: “Those who submit to me prosper, those who resist me perish!”

Qu Jinian: “Cough.”

The instantly well-behaved little girl Qu Sheng lowered her head and called out sweetly: “Father.”

            

Qu Jinian: “Mm.”

Why has everyone stopped commenting? Is my writing too long and boring?

Giving out red envelopes to the cuties who comment on this chapter—two hundred in total, deadline tomorrow night at midnight.

            

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